Be aware that immigrants frequently could not read/write and therefore could not provide accurate spelling of the Bentzel surname, especially before the year 1800. In fact, it is common for the letter "B" to be documented as a "P" due to German phonetics. Therefore, it is quite possible our ancestors names were recorded as Bensel, Pentzel, and Pensel.

Census Images (by Heads of Household)
NOTE: 1850 was the first "promising" census in that it was the first census providing names of the entire household and also listed the birthplace of each individual.

• Henry Bentzel (b.1770), Catherine NEHLER (b.1781), and family:
  --1800 U.S. Census - Dover, York, Pennsylvania (1.2MB) [VIEW]
    (listed as next-door neighbor to brother-in-law, John Kump)
  --1810 U.S. Census - Dover Township, York, Pennsylvania (245KB) [VIEW]
    (listed as a neighbor to brother, David Bentzel, Sr.)
  --1850 U.S. Census - Dover Township, York, Pennsylvania (180KB) [VIEW]
    (living with son, David Benzel, during this census)
   
• John Kump (b.1776), Barbara BENTZEL (b.1773), and family:
  --1800 U.S. Census - Dover, York, Pennsylvania (1.2MB) [VIEW]
    (listed as next-door neighbor to brother-in-law, Henry Bentzel)
  --1810 U.S. Census - Dover, York, Pennsylvania
  --1820 U.S. Census - Dover Twp, York, Pennsylvania
  --1830 U.S. Census - Dover, York, Pennsylvania (460KB) [VIEW]
  --1840 U.S. Census -
  --1850 U.S. Census - Dover, York, Pennsylvania (1.1MB) [VIEW]
  --1860 U.S. Census - Dover Twp, York, Pennsylvania (320KB) [VIEW]
    (John had died before this census so Barbara is listed as head of household)
   
• David Bentzel, Sr. (b.1777), Maria Sophia Elizabeth MEISENHELTER (b.1773, d.1819), and family. Maria Sophia died young and therefore is not listed in the census records:
  --1810 U.S. Census - Dover Township, York, Pennsylvania (245KB) [VIEW]
    (listed as a neighbor to brother, Henry Bentzel)
  --1850 U.S. Census - Dover Township, York, Pennsylvania (180KB) [VIEW]
    (David's parents, Henry Bentzel & Catherine NEHLER, were living at David's home during the census;
     next door was David's cousin, Samuel Bentzel, and his uncle, David Bentzel, Sr.)
   
• David Bentzel (b.1805), Elizabeth WITTERECHT (b.1810), and family:
  --1850 U.S. Census - Dover Township, York, Pennsylvania (180KB) [VIEW]
    (David's parents, Henry and Catherine, and his sister, Rachel, were living at David's home during the
     census; next door was David's cousin, Samuel Bentzel and his uncle, David Bentzel, Sr.)
   
• Elias Bentzel (b.1816), Anna Maria LAUER (b.1823), and family:
  --1850 U.S. Census - Dover Township, York, Pennsylvania (180KB) [VIEW]
   
• Samuel Bentzel (b.1817), his wife, Leah (c.1820), and family:
  --1850 U.S. Census - Dover township, York, Pennsylvania (180KB) [VIEW]
    (Samuel's father, David Bentzel, Sr., was living at Samuel's home during the census; next door was
     Samuel's cousins, David & Rachel Bentzel, and his uncle/aunt, Henry & Catherine Bentzel)