Percy

Geri-Lyn's brother Allan Leslie Bent (Royal Canadian Air Force) and her son Danny Taylor Wilson.

Bob Bent

Jack Bent

	Will Bint's daughter Beatrice Bint was born at 51 Upper Marylebone Street, Marylebone on the 25th of March 1875. Will did not marry Beatrice's mother, Nottingham born Lilian Elizabeth Slack (1857), who adopted his surname. His daughter's 1875 birth certificate described him as a serio comic singer. (Serio is a combination of serious and humour). It appears that he took care of his daughter Beatrice financially as her mother was described as having independent means on the 1891 census.

	Beatrice Bint herself gave birth out of wed-lock. Will's grandson was Arthur Percy Bint who was born at Queen Charlotte's Hospital on the 14th of May 1895. It appears that 20 year old Beatrice was unable to support a child. His life in those early years does not seem to have been very comfortable. On the 1901 Lambeth return we have Percy Bint (5) as a boarder at a school in Santley Street, Lambeth. This address may have been a temporary home paid for by the Fegan organisation. It was their common practice to board out the younger children until they were old enough for the Boys Home.
		Percy Bint aged 10

A year later Percy was in the care of Fegan Boys Homes. The entry in their 1901 Admission Register reads:

Percy - Arthur Percival Bint Age 6 (May 14/01)

Father's address unknown. Mother: Beatrice Evelyn Bint, c/o Mrs Slack, 26 Cathles Rd, Balham, London SW.

Height: 3' 7" Hair: brown Eyes: brown

On the application of admission their is no father's name but it does say his occupation to be hairdresser. It also lists the next of kin as his grandmother, Mrs Slack, 26 Cathles Rd, Balham. The certificate is signed by Beatrice Bint at the same address as Mrs Slack. Geri-Lyn

On December 16th 1906 a form was signed by his mother belatedly consenting for his migration to Canada. (He had already sailed there on the 5th of May that year.)

He left the UK on board the Empress of Britain, departing from Liverpool. His port of arrival was Quebec, Canada on May 12th 1906. The passenger list indicates the party awaiting him was the Fegan's Home, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. There were 100 boys who arrived with him. The non-denominational home at 295 George Street was to have 3,200 boys passing through its doors between 1884-1939.

On the Durham, Ontario 1911 census he is recorded as Percy Bent, servant to to Presbyterian farmer Robert Burgess (1856) and his sister Mary Jane Burgess who were born in Ontario from a Scottish family.

My father has told me that Percy lived with two elderly women by the name of Searles, (he is not 100% sure of the name). My father does recall going to the home of this women in Orono, Ontario. for Sunday suppers and picnics. Something to note-on the passenger list his name is listed as Percy Bint, age 9.

The Empress of Britain in 1905

Fegan's Home at 295 George Street, Toronto.

The 101 Fegan's Home boys who sailed to Canada on the Empress of Britain in May 1906. (11 year old Percy Bint is on the extreme right of the top row)

James Fegan and his co-workers sought to give boys in their homes the most promising futures possible. The prospect of work and a good start in life were much better in Canada than in England at the end at the 19th century and Fegan began a programme to help boys emigrate.
Each year from 1884 to 1939, with a few exceptions, parties of boys from Fegans emigrated to Canada. Generally the boys would be 14 years old when they went although on occasions they might be younger, particularly if accompanying an older brother. The party would normally board a boat for Canada at Liverpool in the early spring.
To make sure that the boys were well prepared for life in Canada, James Fegan embarked on the innovative venture of a Canadian Training Farm in England. The training farm, at Goudhurst, Kent, was equipped with modern Canadian farm equipment and gave boys from Fegan's homes a kind of apprenticeship in Canadian farming techniques.
Fegan established a 'Receiving Home' at Toronto in 1886, where boys would arrive before moving on to placements on farms. Fegan's workers made regular visits to the boys up to the age of 21, to check on their well-being and to make sure the placement was working out appropriately.


	Percy in 1916		Percy and Edith

	Percy Bint enlisted in WW1 in March 1916 and was a member of the 136th Battalion CEF. He was medically discharged in August 1916 with vascular heart disease. His unit sailed overseas on September 25 1916 without him. His certificate of service in the Great European War has the name Percy Bent. Something to note--his military records show he is using the name Percy Bint, age 20. I believe he started to use the name Bent from this time. It wasn't until he applied to the UK for his birth certificate in 1958 that he found his name to be Arthur Percival Bint, born May 14, 1895. He didn't realize he had a first name and was using the wrong day and year of birth. He was approximately 3 years younger than he thought. Geri-Lyn In 1923 he married Edith Alma Bradshaw, who was born at Hastings, Ontario in 1896, at Oshawa, Ontario. They had six children, Robert Bent, b. 1924, Jack Bent, b. 1926, Kenneth Bent, b.1927, Harold Bent, b. 1928, Bernice Bent, b. 1929, Gerald Bent, b. 1932. Percy worked for many years as an electrician and had a passion for gardening. He died at Whitby, Ontario on May 11th 1966 and Edith at Oshawa on November 27th 1975. They are buried together at Mount Lawn Cemetery, Oshawa.

Their children were -

Robert (Bob) Charles Bent	1924 - 1975	Born Oshawa. Married Mildred Minnie Gray (b 1927). Their children were Robert Brian Bent, b.21 Jan.,1950, Sherrie Ellen Bent, b. 25, Nov.,1953, Arlene Louise Bent, b.1 June,1958, and Diana Gail Bent, b. 24 Oct.1968
John (Jack) Leslie Bent	1926 - 2005	Born Oshawa. Never married.
Kenneth Percy Bent	1927	Born Oshawa. Married Hazel H. Hamilton (b 1930),on 26 June1948 at Oshawa. Their children were Wayne Kenneth Bent, b.23 Sept.,1949, Karen Lynn Bent, b. 8 April 1955, David John Bent, b.6 Jan.,1961.
Harold I Bent	1928	Born Courtice. Married Doris P Brown (b 1928) 8 September1951 at Cobourg, Their children were Carol Anne Bent, b.13 April 1955, Gregory Harold Bent, b.13 February 1957, Judith Lynn Bent, b.13 Dec 1958, Christopher Paul Bent, b.16 January,1966.
Margaret Georgina Bernice Bent	1929	Born Oshawa. Married Leonard Gordon Yuill, (b1927) on 24 June,1949, at Perth ON. Their children were Stephen Leonard Yuill, b.15 Dec 1950, Nancy Jean Yuill, b.22 Sept.1953, Laurie Alma Yuill, b.5 Dec.1956, Randall Gordon Yuill, b. 26 Nov.1959.
Arthur Gerald Bent	1932	Born Oshawa. Married Evelyn Sandra Taylor (b1941) at Oshawa on 9 Oct.1959. Their children were Geri-Lyn Anne Bent b. 4 May,1960, Allan Leslie Bent b.12 Sept.1961, Jannie Joanne Bent, b.19 Jan.1965.

Bint Families of the United Kingdom		THE BINT FAMILY OF HERTFORDSHIRE, LONDON & CANADA Percy Bint (Bent) 1895-1966


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