Page "Benning Wentworth" Paragraph 3

Wentworth was authorised by the crown to grant patents of unoccupied land, and in 1749 began making grants in what is now southern Vermont, enriching himself by a clever scheme of selling land to developers in spite of jurisdictional claims for this region by the Province of New York.

He often named the new townships after famous contemporaries in order to gain support for his enterprises ( e. g. Rutland after John Manners, 3rd Duke of Rutland ; Bennington he named after himself ).

In each of the grants, he stipulated for the reservation of a lot for an Episcopal church.

Ultimately, this scheme led to a great deal of contention between New York, New England, and the settlers in Vermont.

The dispute long outlived Wentworth's administration, lasting until Vermont was admitted as a state in 1791.