This may be the fellow. From IGC:
Name Joseph Bentley
Other Names J Bentley & Son; J Bentley & Sons
Address1 11 Steelhouse Lane
Address2 14 St Mary's Row
City/Town Birmingham
Country United Kingdom
Trade Gun & pistol maker
Other Address 143 Dale Street, Liverpool; 12 South Castle Street, Liverpool; 6 South Castle Street & 40 Lime Street; 37 Russell Street.
Dates 1829-1864
Notes
Joseph Bentley established his business as a gun and pistol maker in 1829 at 11 Steelhouse Lane, Birmingham. By 1835 when he was recorded in Pigott's Directory as a saddle pistol maker he had moved to 2 Sand Street. He moved in 1838 to 14 St Mary's Row where he was recorded in Robson's London and Birmingham Directory for 1839 as a pistol maker. On 9 April 1839 together with George Stocker he registered patent No.8024 for improvements to pepperbox revolvers. In 1840 he bought the business of Edward Burnham at 154 Dale Street, Liverpool and moved it to 143 Dale Street. He was recorded in the 1841 census living in South Castle Street (no number stated) and living with him was, Edward Burnham (b.1811 in Lancashire possibly in Liverpool) and his wife Elizabeth (b.1816). In 1842 Joseph moved the shop to 12 South Castle Street. On 30 July 1844 J Bentley registered patent No. 10280 which covered nipples parallel with the barrels.
In 1851 the Liverpool shop moved to 6 South Castle Street with additional premises at 40 Lime Street which was where Joseph was recorded living in the 1851 census. By this time His wife Sarah (b.1797 in Birmingham) had moved up to Liverpool with their children Hannah (b.1826), William (b.1836), Joseph (b.1838) and Mary Jane (b.1849). The firm was recorded as Joseph Bentley & Son when they exhibited at the 1851 Great Exhibition in London. At this date the elder recorded son, William, was only 15 years old so there seems to have been another son who probably stayed behind in Birmingham and ran that business. Neither William nor Joseph Jnr were recorded in subsequent censuses but see Joseph Jnr below. In 4 December 1852 Joseph patented a double action revolver with a hammer safety (No. 960), and on 4 April 1854 patent No. 768 covered a improvements including a ramrod. It would appear that patent Nos. 16 and 39 were taken out at some date (1857?) for ????. These patents have not been traced. At some time the firm was known as J Bentley & Sons but in 1854 Joseph Bentley (Jnr) established his own business at 33 Mount Pleasant. This moved in 1858 to Salisbury Street and was not recorded after that date. On 1 April 1856 patent No.780 covered a forward sliding percussion breech-loader and ammunition, and on 17 October 1857 patent No.2657 covered further improvements to his revolver and ramrod. Also in 1857 Joseph moved the shop to 37 Russell Street and went to live at 6 South Castle Street where he was recorded in the 1861 census with Sarah, Mary Jane and a grand-daughter, Ellen J. In this census Joseph described himself as a gun maker employing 1 man.
On 10 October 1859 J Bentley and H J Sillem registered patent No. 2298 for a sliding breech block running in a semi-circular groove. On 16 August 1860 J and D Bentley registered patent No. 1984 for a vertical or transverse sliding breech block operated by a pivoted lever. David Bentley was probably related to Joseph Bentley (Bentley & Playfair) and Thomas Bentley. The Liverpool premises were closed in 1863 and the firm appears to have ceased trading in Birmingham at the same time. Joseph died in Wakefield, Yorkshire, in 1871. See Henry Walker & Co.
Tim
