Benning Wentworth

Benning Wentworth
Governor of New Hampshire
In office 1741–1766
Monarchs	George II (1741–1760) George III (1760–1766)
Preceded by	Jonathan Belcher
Succeeded by	John Wentworth
Personal details
Born	July 24, 1696 Portsmouth, New Hampshire
Died	October 14, 1770 (aged 74) Portsmouth, New Hampshire
Spouse(s)	Abigail Ruck (m. 1719–1755) Martha Hilton (m. 1760–1770)
Children	3
Parent(s)	John Wentworth Sarah Hunking Wentworth
Profession	Merchant, colonial administrator
Signature
Nickname(s)	Don Granada Don Diego

Benning Wentworth (July 24, 1696 – October 14, 1770)^[a] was an American merchant, landowner and colonial administrator who served as the governor of New Hampshire from 1741 to 1766. He is best known for issuing several land grants in territories claimed by the Province of New Hampshire west of the Connecticut River while serving as governor, which led to disputes with the neighboring Province of New York and the eventual establishment of Vermont.

Born in Portsmouth, New Hampshire into a prominent local family, Wentworth was groomed by his father John while growing up to assume control over the family businesses. However, Wentworth's misbehavior while studying at Harvard College led him to be sent by his father to Boston instead in 1715. There, Wentworth was apprenticed to his uncle before working as a merchant. In 1730, he returned to Portsmouth to assume control over his father's estate.

After Wentworth returned to New Hampshire, he became involved in politics, sitting on both the House of Representatives and the governor's council in the 1730s. There, he allied with Theodore Atkinson against political rivals Jonathan Belcher and Richard Waldron. In 1733, Spanish officials refused to pay Wentworth for a timber shipment, leaving him in debt. Negotiations in London to resolve this led to Wentworth being appointed governor in 1741.

Wentworth used his position as governor to entrench his family's economic and political dominance in New Hampshire. In the 1760's, a dispute with the colonial government in neighboring New York ultimately led to an end to Wentworth's land grants, and he eventually stepped down as governor in 1766. Wentworth soon retired to his house in Portsmouth, where he died four years later. The town of Bennington, Vermont was named in his honor.
Cite error: There are <ref group=lower-alpha> tags or {{efn}} templates on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=lower-alpha}} template or {{notelist}} template (see the help page).