Johann Christian Bentz (Bench) c. 1719-1804

This is an interesting family.  There is no Bench genealogy.  I've seen compilations of the descendants of Daniel Bench and of his father Lawrence Bench.  Some Internet pages have pulled the family back two more generations but as always with Internet genealogy without sources and reasoning.  So I'm posting all I've seen with this family and noting the caveat that I'm only really sure of Daniel Bench and his daughter.  Sadly almost all of the wives in each generation are missing.

1. Johann Christian Bentz born say 1719 in Germany and died about 1804 at Ross County, Ohio.  He married Margaret Wachner who is presumably the mother of his children.  He arrived in the U.S. in 1753 to Philadelphia.  From  there he meandered his way to North Carolina and eventually to Ohio.  He had at least one son. 
2. Christian Bentz/Bench born say 1750 in Germany and died about 1814 at Ross County, Ohio.  His wife is unknown.  He was the father of at least one son:
3. Lawrence Bench born say 1779 at Surry County, North Carolina and died about 1852 in Camden County, Missouri. His first wife's name is unknown.  He married second about 1850 Narcissus  Foley.  Children attributed to him are: Lawrence (Jr.), Christopher, Daniel, Nancy, Elizabeth, James, Samuel, Lewis, and Mary.  He had at least one son:
4. Daniel Bench born say 1804 in North Carolina and died 5 November 1875 at Brownfield, Pulaski County, Missouri.  He married Elizabeth (---).  She may have been Elizabeth Comer or Elizabeth Clark Stuckey.  He married secondly about 1845 Frances Admires.  By Elizabeth he was the father of seven children: Elizabeth, John, Christopher, Henry, Mary Jane, Charlotte, and Sylvania.  By Frances he was the father of: Lucy Ann, Andrew, Lucinda,  Daniel and Pulaski.  Daniel appears in the 1850 and 1860 U.S. censuses for Pulaski County, Missouri. 
5. Mary Jane Bench born December 1834 in Bartholomew County, Indiana and died after the 1910 U.S. Census.  She married 12 May 1853 at Laclede, Missouri, Andrew Jackson Hall, born 1830 in Tennessee and died 30 May 1900 at Cleveland County, Oklahoma.  They had seven children: Emma, Nancy Emeline, Elizabeth J., William N., George W., Francis Marion, and Laura Belle.  Mary Jane is alive in the household  of  her son George in the 1910 U.S. Census (ED #80, Family #173 at Garvin County, Oklahoma),  but not with him in 1920.  This family moved from Oklahoma to California and Mary's death cannot be accurately located.

Sources:

Laclede County Marriages Book A, p. 284 named as "Jackson Hall and Sary Benton" obviously a transcription error.

"Pulaski County History" (Pulaski Historical Society, 1983).

Posting on Genforum dated 22 March 1999 from Sharon Turman.

Family Group Sheet from Ruth Bock of Midland, Texas.

Family Compilationl of Lawrence Bench by Charlotte Beidelman.