Eli Bentley (1752–1822) was an American silversmith and a "rather important" clockmaker active in Pennsylvania and Carroll County, Maryland.
He started out in Whiteland, Pennsylvania,[1] and after 1778 worked in Taneytown where he produced at least 50 clocks in his lifetime.
[2][3][4] He typically made just the movements and mechanisms (out of brass),[1] and painted the clock faces and dials,[5] and usually signed the clock faces, leaving other local artisans to create the wooden cabinets.
[7] A number of his clocks were over 8 feet (240 cm) tall and several had eight-day movements.
[6] His brother Caleb Bentley made clocks in Montgomery County, Maryland.