Personal data
Christian Frederick Anthony Bentick
Born August 15, 1734   Died April 1, 1768  
Heer van Rhoon
Count Bentinck de Varel

Son of Willem Bentinck and Charlotte Sophie von Aldenburg. Married (1760) to Maria Catharina van Tuyll van Serooskerken, daughter of Jan Maximiliaan van Tuyll van Serooskerken and Baroness Ursulina van Reede (1719-1747). The couple had at least two children, Willem Gustaaf Frederik Bentinck (1762-1835) and John Charles Bentinck (1763-1833).

Boswell supped at Count Bentinck's on May 5, 1764. Boswell in Holland identifies the count as CFA Bentinck. Boswell had apparently met him sometime earlier, and possibly even on April 28 at Willem Bentinck.1 The count had a copy of Boswell and Erskine's Letters between the Hon. Andrew Erskine and James Boswell Esq. in his library. They dined together a few days later, and on June 6, shortly before leaving Utrecht, Boswell received a few letters of recommendation from the Count for his tour of the German courts.

Bentinck later served as an intermediary in the correspondence between Boswell and Belle de Zuylen.

  • 1The Count Bentinck here mentioned may be identical with the Comte de Rhoon mentioned on April 28, hence the reference to Willem Bentinck. However, Boswell seems to distinguish father and son by referring to the elder as Comte de Rhoon and the young count as Count Bentinck.
Boswell in Holland 1763-64

Unless otherwise noted, the source for a dated quotation of Boswell's is generally the corresponding volume of the Yale Trade Editions of Boswell's journals.