[Bolling5] Godby and Bentley -- 1623-24
Doris A.W. Oakes
dawoakes at att.net
Wed Mar 31 08:07:46 CDT 2010
31 March 2010
Thanks Ernie - although not mentioned but I could read into the story my
immigrant ancestor, Bartholomew Weathersbie - as he arrived Elizabeth
City, VA in 1616 and the one associated with my connection to the Thomas
Godby.
Doris
EPERRY4616 at aol.com wrote:
> Woody --
> Both Sheila and Doris of Group 5 are related to the Godbys. Here is a
> story involving an early Bentley you might be interested in. -- Ernie
>
> ...... little more is known about Thomas Godby until his death. He
> survived the Indian massacre of 1622 and is found in the “Lists of the
> Livinge and Dead in Virginia Febr: 16th 1623” living in Elizabeth City
> with his wife Joane. Joane Godby had only arrived in Virginia in 1621
> on the ship “Flyinge Hart”. The colony’s population in 1622 was still
> only 1258 and the massacre killed about 1/3 of the colonists.
>
> On Dec. 1, 1624, Thomas Godby, an “ancient planter” of
> Kiccoughtan, in the Corporation of Elizabeth City patented 100 acres
> between Newport News and Blunt Point adjacent to William Bentley. The
> same day William Bentley patented 50 acres. Bentley was a new planter
> who had come to Virginia at his own expense in 1624 on the ship “Jacob.”
>
> Elizabeth City in 1625 was the largest community in Virginia with a
> population of 359 compared to James City’s 175. Elizabeth City was on
> the site of an Indian village, Kecoughtan, on Hampton Creek and it was
> known by its Indian name for over 10 years. Thomas and Joane Godbey
> are listed again in Elizabeth City on the Virginia Muster of Jan.
> 20-Feb. 7, 1625 which was taken upon the dissolution of the Virginia
> Company.
>
> Three years passed and then on the night of Feb. 8, 1628 the events
> resulting in the death of Thomas Godby at the hands of William Bentley
> occurred leading to the trial of William Bentley.
>
> The death of Thomas Godby, in the fourth year of the reign of King
> Charles, is a fascinating episode in Godby family history. An account
> of it survives in the “Journal of Council and General Court of
> Virginia” (pp. 190-191). A transcription of this is found in The
> Middleton Family by Beth Engel. Over 370 years after Thomas Godby’s
> death, his actual words and actions are preserved in the trial record
> as reported by two witnesses, Richard Peck and William Parker.
>
> Godby was at William Parker’s house on Merry Point with five others
> including Richard Peck. After supper, the group shared a bottle of
> about 5 pints of burnt claret wine and Thomas Godby had about four
> cups. William Parker admitted he was a little light headed after
> eleven o’clock when William Bentley ran aground in Mr. Conges’ boat on
> the shoals against Parker’s house.
>
> The impression given is that Bentley was floundering in the water
> shouting for help to a house of men too busy drinking to pay any
> attention to what was happening outside.
>
> In any case, Richard Peck said Bentley came into the house, probably
> wet and angry, and asked sarcastically if their orders were to hear
> men call and not come to help them out of the water. Godby answered
> him, “Do you think we have nothing to do but to fetch you out of the
> water?” William Parker’s testimony was that Bentley had asked why no
> one in the house had brought light to help him and that Thomas Godby
> had said, “Was anybody bound to bring you light to fetch you from the
> water?” Both Peck and Parker said Bentley told Godby, “Hold your
> peace, nobody speaketh to you.”
>
> This apparently tense moment seemed to pass with all sitting by the
> fire and “many jesting words” passing between Bentley and Godby but
> Peck said that Godby “gave Bentley many provoking words” which led to
> harsher words. After many exchanges, Peck reported that Bently said
> “Shall we toss some balls?” whereupon Godby said, “If you toss balls
> to me I will toss the cup in your face.” Parker said that Bently
> called Godby a “cuckold” to which Godby replied, “I would as soon be a
> cuckold as a cuckold maker.” Both witnesses agreed that Godby called
> Bentley names such as a “rogue,” “rascal” and “knave” and Peck said
> that Bentley replied in kind.
>
> Both witnesses agree that Thomas Godby and William Bentley were
> sitting beside each other on a bench and at this point, Bentley hit
> Godby with his left hand on Godby’s left ear knocking him into the
> floor. The incident perhaps would have only been a drunken fight
> except that Bentley then stood and kicked Godby until the others
> separated the two.
>
> Thomas Godby then set upon a chest or a chair but cried out, “Oh my
> belly and my side” and tried to walk two or three turns across the
> house. Probably in an attempt to keep the two separate, William
> Parker advised Godby to go next door to Richard Peck’s house to sleep.
> Parker and Peck led Thomas Godby outside and Parker went back to his
> house leaving Peck and Godby going to Peck’s house. Peck testified
> that on the way, Godby fell down crying out repeatedly, “Oh, Bentley,
> thou hast killed me” and “I am cruelly fixed.” Peck and some of the
> others then carried Godby back to Parker’s house.
>
> Parker said they hadn’t been gone 15 minutes when Godby was brought
> back and laid on a bed still crying out, “Oh Mr. Bentley, you have
> killed me” repeatedly and also saying “Lord have mercy upon us. Lord
> Jesus receive my soul” before finally laying very quietly. Parker,
> thinking Godby was now asleep left him but in the morning found he was
> dead.
>
> William Bentley was indicted for feloniously killing Thomas Godby
> against the peace of the King. Bentley pleaded “not guilty” but the
> 12 jurors convicted him of manslaughter. When asked what he had to
> say for himself and why he shouldn’t die for his crime, Bentley
> demanded his Clergy. A person who could read could claim “benefit of
> clergy” and after reading from the Bible as proof be freed from other
> punishment.
>
> And so Thomas Godby was buried and William Bentley was freed. On
> October 16, 1629 William Bentley, representing Nuttmegg Quarter
> (listed next to Elizabeth City), was seated in the Virginia House of
> Burgesses along with several of the jurors who convicted him
> including Richard Kingsmill, John Harris, Thomas Bagwell, and Thomas
> Harwood.
>
>
>
>
>
> Sources
>
> “Lists of the Livinge and Dead in Virginia Febr: 16th 1623”
>
> “Virginia Muster Jan 20-Feb 7, 1624-5”
>
> Cavaliers and Pioneers, Vol. 1, 1623-1666 by Nell Nugent
>
> Colonial Surry: Surry People Before the Council and General Court
>
> Colonial Virginia Register Compiled by William G. and Mary N. Stanard
>
> Journal of Council and General Court of Virginia
>
> The Conquest of Virginia by Conway Sams
>
> The First Seventeen Years: Virginia 1607-1624 by Charles Hatch, Jr.
>
> The Middleton Family by Beth Engel
>
>
>
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>
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