Once thought to have been apprenticed at the London Times, Newgate records show that in 1810 he was 'a boy' belonging to John Crowder, printer of the Public Ledger newspaper, in Warwick Square.
[2][3] In 1810, Bent was caught one Sunday morning trying to sell stolen clothing, boots and shoes in the taproom of the Sugar Loaf public house.
[1] Bent reached Sydney aboard the Guildford in January 1812, was transferred to the Ruby and arrived at Hobart Town Van Diemen's Land (now Tasmania) in February.
[1] Bent was reputedly assigned to George Clark, printer of the first Tasmanian newspaper, the short-lived Derwent Star and Van Diemen's Land Intelligencer (1810).
Sorell appointed Henry James Emmett as editor (and censor) with Bent agreeing to pay his salary and continuing the established practice of submitting the proofs for government approval each week.
Soon after, following several days of escalating tension between printer and editor, Bent sacked Emmett and replaced him with Evan Henry Thomas.
[5] Arthur saw no place for a free press in a convict colony, and regarded the Gazette as government property although Bent claimed to have established it on his own initiative and at his own expense.
The Attorney-General, Joseph Tice Gellibrand, immediately proposed prosecuting the printer for this gross libel on the governor, but Arthur hesitated, concentrating instead on plans for establishing another vehicle for promulgating government information.
His successors, Dr. James Ross and George Terry Howe took over the gazette printing on 25 June, with a new newspaper which appropriated Bent's short title and continued its numbering.
Two newspapers entitled the Hobart Town Gazette appeared each week until 19 August, when Bent changed his title to the Colonial Times, and Van Diemen's Land Advertiser.
At both he was found guilty by a military jury, despite stating that he had not written any of the offending material and offering to give up the authors (Thomas and Murray).
Chief Justice John Lewes Pedder, in sentencing, hoped that this would prevent Bent's newspaper 'continuing to be the tool of a faction'.
The first Act imposed a stamp duty and the second included, among other provisions, a requirement that printers of newspapers be licensed by the Lieutenant Governor.
For two years, commencing in July 1832, he printed the anti-Arthur newspaper the Colonist and Van Diemen's Land Commercial and Agricultural Advertiser for its trustee proprietors George Meredith and T. G. Gregson.