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Vice-Admiral Sir John Bentley (27 December 1703 – 3 January 1772) was a Royal Navy officer who fought in three wars and as many as six major sea battles.

Early life
John Bentley was baptized at St Leonard's, Deal, Kent, on 27 December 1703. He was the second son of William Bentley (died 1719) and Sarah Ballard (died 1738). Bentley's elder brother, Thomas, is recorded in one biography as a naval captain, however the naval historians John Knox Laughton and Ruddock Mackay suggest that he was in fact a merchant ship captain.

Naval career
Bentley joined the Royal Navy as a lieutenant's servant some time in the late 1710s, having what Laughton and Mackay describe as "outstanding potential". Bentley's early service in the navy is sparsely recorded. Laughton and Mackay suggest in uncertain terms that, with the War of the Quadruple Alliance ongoing, he served in the 70-gun ship of the line HMS Grafton at the Battle of Cape Passaro on 11 August 1718. Bentley subsequently saw service in 1720 in the 80-gun ship of the line HMS Torbay, and by 1728 had returned to serving in Grafton.

Bentley was commissioned as a lieutenant on 28 March 1732, and from 1734 was employed in that rank in the 8-gun fireship HMS Poole. The War of the Austrian Succession began in 1740, and by 1744 Bentley was serving on board the 90-gun ship of the line HMS Namur, the flagship of Admiral Thomas Mathews. On 11 February the same year Namur participated in the controversial Battle of Toulon, during which Bentley demonstrated such personal gallantry that after the battle he was given command of the hospital ship HMS Sutherland. He was subsequently promoted to captain on 1 August and sent to command the 70-gun ship of the line HMS Burford.