James Bentham
Encyclopedia
James Bentham was an English clergyman and historian of Ely
.
near Ely, and brother of Edward Bentham. From Ely grammar school, he was admitted 26 March 1727 to Trinity College, Cambridge
, where he proceeded B.A. in 1730, and M.A. in 1738. In 1733 he was presented to the vicarage of Stapleford
in Cambridgeshire
, which he resigned in 1737, when he was made a minor canon of Ely.
In 1767 Bentham was presented by Bishop Matthias Mawson
to the vicarage of Wymondham
in Norfolk
, and upon his resignation of that living in the following year to the rectory of Feltwell St Nicholas in the same county. This preferment he held till 1774, when Bishop Edmund Keene
presented him to the rectory of Northwold
, which, after five years' tenure, he gave up for a prebendal stall in Ely Cathedral
. To this was added in 1783, on the presentation of the Rev. Edward Guellaume, the rectory of Bowbrick Hill, Buckinghamshire
.
He died at his prebendal house, Ely, on 17 November 1794, at the age of 86.
. Some twenty years later Bentham published ‘Considerations and Reflections upon the Present State of the Fens,’ with a view to their improvement by draining and enclosing Grunty Fen
, a large tract of common near Ely of 1,300 acres.
His major work was begun in 1756, when he circulated among his friends printed lists of the abbots, bishops, priors, and deans of Ely, for the purpose of obtaining materials for his history of Ely Cathedral
church. The work was sent to the press in 1764, and was delivered to the subscribers in 1771. It was printed at Cambridge in a quarto volume by Joseph Bentham, a brother and alderman of Cambridge, who for many years was printer to the university. William Cole
's notes on Bentham's work are in William Davis's An Olio of Bibliographical and Literary Anecdotes and Memoranda, Original and Selected.
During the later period of his life he collected materials for illustrating the ‘Ancient Architecture of this Kingdom,’ a work which he was unable to complete.
Ely, Cambridgeshire
Ely is a cathedral city in Cambridgeshire, England, 14 miles north-northeast of Cambridge and about by road from London. It is built on a Lower Greensand island, which at a maximum elevation of is the highest land in the Fens...
.
Life
From a clerical family, he was the fourth son of the Rev. Samuel Bentham, vicar of WitchfordWitchford
Witchford is a small village near Ely in Cambridgeshire, England.Witchford houses the secondary school Witchford Village College that serves all of the surrounding villages, including Haddenham, Little Thetford, Mepal, Stretham, Sutton, Wilburton and Witcham.The village hosts the Grunty Fen Half...
near Ely, and brother of Edward Bentham. From Ely grammar school, he was admitted 26 March 1727 to Trinity College, Cambridge
Trinity College, Cambridge
Trinity College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Trinity has more members than any other college in Cambridge or Oxford, with around 700 undergraduates, 430 graduates, and over 170 Fellows...
, where he proceeded B.A. in 1730, and M.A. in 1738. In 1733 he was presented to the vicarage of Stapleford
Stapleford, Cambridgeshire
Stapleford is a village located approximately four miles to the south of Cambridge, in the county of Cambridgeshire, in eastern England on the right hand bank of the River Granta. Stapleford is first mentioned in 956 when it was given the Latinised name of Stapelforda, formerly Stapleton. Unlike...
in Cambridgeshire
Cambridgeshire
Cambridgeshire is a county in England, bordering Lincolnshire to the north, Norfolk to the northeast, Suffolk to the east, Essex and Hertfordshire to the south, and Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire to the west...
, which he resigned in 1737, when he was made a minor canon of Ely.
In 1767 Bentham was presented by Bishop Matthias Mawson
Matthias Mawson
Matthias Mawson was an English churchman and academic, Master of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, Bishop of Llandaff, Bishop of Chichester, and Bishop of Ely.-Life:...
to the vicarage of Wymondham
Wymondham
Wymondham is a historic market town and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. It lies 9.5 miles to the south west of the city of Norwich, on the A11 road to Thetford and London.- Before The Great Fire :...
in Norfolk
Norfolk
Norfolk is a low-lying county in the East of England. It has borders with Lincolnshire to the west, Cambridgeshire to the west and southwest and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the North Sea coast and to the north-west the county is bordered by The Wash. The county...
, and upon his resignation of that living in the following year to the rectory of Feltwell St Nicholas in the same county. This preferment he held till 1774, when Bishop Edmund Keene
Edmund Keene
Edmund Keene was an English churchman and academic, Master of Peterhouse, Cambridge, Bishop of Chester and Bishop of Ely.-Life:He was the third but second surviving son of Charles Keene, and younger brother of Sir Benjamin Keene, and was born at King's Lynn, Norfolk...
presented him to the rectory of Northwold
Northwold
Northwold is a village and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk.It covers an area of and had a population of 1,070 in 448 households as of the 2001 census....
, which, after five years' tenure, he gave up for a prebendal stall in Ely Cathedral
Ely Cathedral
Ely Cathedral is the principal church of the Diocese of Ely, in Cambridgeshire, England, and is the seat of the Bishop of Ely and a suffragan bishop, the Bishop of Huntingdon...
. To this was added in 1783, on the presentation of the Rev. Edward Guellaume, the rectory of Bowbrick Hill, Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan home county in South East England. The county town is Aylesbury, the largest town in the ceremonial county is Milton Keynes and largest town in the non-metropolitan county is High Wycombe....
.
He died at his prebendal house, Ely, on 17 November 1794, at the age of 86.
Works
He published in 1757 proposals for making turnpike roads under the title of ‘Queries for the consideration of the Inhabitants of the City of Ely and Towns adjacent.’ His plan, after encountering ridicule, was carried into effect under powers obtained by an act of parliament passed in 1763, and by the aid of subscriptions and loans of money. A road was made between Ely and Cambridge, and the system was extended to other parts of the Isle of ElyIsle of Ely
The Isle of Ely is a historic region around the city of Ely now in Cambridgeshire, England but previously a county in its own right.-Etymology:...
. Some twenty years later Bentham published ‘Considerations and Reflections upon the Present State of the Fens,’ with a view to their improvement by draining and enclosing Grunty Fen
Grunty Fen
Grunty Fen was a former parish in Cambridgeshire, England, four miles south west of Ely. It was amalgamated with Wilburton parish in 1933.-History:...
, a large tract of common near Ely of 1,300 acres.
His major work was begun in 1756, when he circulated among his friends printed lists of the abbots, bishops, priors, and deans of Ely, for the purpose of obtaining materials for his history of Ely Cathedral
Ely Cathedral
Ely Cathedral is the principal church of the Diocese of Ely, in Cambridgeshire, England, and is the seat of the Bishop of Ely and a suffragan bishop, the Bishop of Huntingdon...
church. The work was sent to the press in 1764, and was delivered to the subscribers in 1771. It was printed at Cambridge in a quarto volume by Joseph Bentham, a brother and alderman of Cambridge, who for many years was printer to the university. William Cole
William Cole (antiquary)
William Cole , was a Cambridgeshire clergyman and antiquary.Cole was born in Little Abington, Cambridgeshire, the son of a well-to-do farmer...
's notes on Bentham's work are in William Davis's An Olio of Bibliographical and Literary Anecdotes and Memoranda, Original and Selected.
During the later period of his life he collected materials for illustrating the ‘Ancient Architecture of this Kingdom,’ a work which he was unable to complete.