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. While serving as governor, Wentworth is best known for issuing several land grants in territory claimed by the Province of New Hampshire west of the Connecticut River, which led to disputes with the neighboring colony of New York and the eventual founding of Vermont.
Born in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, into a prominent colonial family in 1696, Wentworth was groomed by his father John while growing up to assume control over the family business before misbehavior while studying at Harvard College led him to be sent to Boston instead in 1715. There, Wentworth was apprenticed at his uncle's business before becoming a merchant. In 1730, he returned to Portsmouth to assume control over his father's estate.
After Wentworth returned to his family, he soon started becoming 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, Spain 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.
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