Henry Grey Bennet
Encyclopedia
The Honourable
Henry Grey Bennet (2 December 1777 – 29 May 1836), was a British politician.
Bennet was the second of three sons and fourth of eight children of Charles Bennet, 4th Earl of Tankerville
, and his wife, Emma (1752–1836), daughter of banker Sir James Colebrooke, 1st Baronet
.
He was educated at Eton College
(1788–92), served in the 1st Foot Guards
, and entered Lincoln's Inn
in 1798, and Peterhouse, Cambridge
, in 1799. He was called to the bar in 1803, practising on the Western Circuit.
Bennet's first election as MP for Shrewsbury
in 1806 was invalidated. His advocacy of Catholic emancipation
led to defeat in 1807 but he regained his seat in 1811. In the Commons his maiden speech was directed at the Prince Regent.
From 1813 to 1815 he was the second president of the Geological Society of London
; the Lyell Collection contains his account of the Island of Tenerife
.
After the Peterloo massacre
in 1819 he called for an inquiry into the manufacturing districts' plight. His defence of Queen Caroline
in 1820–21 led to his portrayal in an engraving by Francis Holl.
In 1816 Bennet married Gertrude Frances, daughter of Lord William Russell. They had one son and three daughters. The sudden ending of his career in 1824 (apparently due to the death from consumption of his only son six months after that of a daughter) was followed by a continental trip in 1825. His reputation was ruined by the threat of prosecution for importuning a young male servant at Spa
in August 1825. He remained in exile and gave up his seat in parliament the following year. He and his wife lived near Lake Como in Italy until his death in 1836. Gertrude died in 1841.
Bennet was the author of several pamphlets, and a fellow of the Royal Society
.
The Honourable
The prefix The Honourable or The Honorable is a style used before the names of certain classes of persons. It is considered an honorific styling.-International diplomacy:...
Henry Grey Bennet (2 December 1777 – 29 May 1836), was a British politician.
Bennet was the second of three sons and fourth of eight children of Charles Bennet, 4th Earl of Tankerville
Charles Bennet, 4th Earl of Tankerville
Charles Bennet, 4th Earl of Tankerville , styled Lord Ossulston from 1753 to 1767, was a British nobleman, a collector of shells and a famous patron of Surrey cricket in the 1770s. He agreed a set of cricket rules that included the first mention of the Leg before wicket rule. His wife, Emma, was...
, and his wife, Emma (1752–1836), daughter of banker Sir James Colebrooke, 1st Baronet
Sir James Colebrooke, 1st Baronet
Sir James Edward Colebrooke, 1st Baronet was the son of James Colebrooke, of Chilham Castle, Kent, a very prominent private banker in London, and his wife Mary Hudson...
.
He was educated at Eton College
Eton College
Eton College, often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent school for boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor"....
(1788–92), served in the 1st Foot Guards
Grenadier Guards
The Grenadier Guards is an infantry regiment of the British Army. It is the most senior regiment of the Guards Division and, as such, is the most senior regiment of infantry. It is not, however, the most senior regiment of the Army, this position being attributed to the Life Guards...
, and entered Lincoln's Inn
Lincoln's Inn
The Honourable Society of Lincoln's Inn is one of four Inns of Court in London to which barristers of England and Wales belong and where they are called to the Bar. The other three are Middle Temple, Inner Temple and Gray's Inn. Although Lincoln's Inn is able to trace its official records beyond...
in 1798, and Peterhouse, Cambridge
Peterhouse, Cambridge
Peterhouse is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England. It is the oldest college of the University, having been founded in 1284 by Hugo de Balsham, Bishop of Ely...
, in 1799. He was called to the bar in 1803, practising on the Western Circuit.
Bennet's first election as MP for Shrewsbury
Shrewsbury
Shrewsbury is the county town of Shropshire, in the West Midlands region of England. Lying on the River Severn, it is a civil parish home to some 70,000 inhabitants, and is the primary settlement and headquarters of Shropshire Council...
in 1806 was invalidated. His advocacy of Catholic emancipation
Catholic Emancipation
Catholic emancipation or Catholic relief was a process in Great Britain and Ireland in the late 18th century and early 19th century which involved reducing and removing many of the restrictions on Roman Catholics which had been introduced by the Act of Uniformity, the Test Acts and the penal laws...
led to defeat in 1807 but he regained his seat in 1811. In the Commons his maiden speech was directed at the Prince Regent.
From 1813 to 1815 he was the second president of the Geological Society of London
Geological Society of London
The Geological Society of London is a learned society based in the United Kingdom with the aim of "investigating the mineral structure of the Earth"...
; the Lyell Collection contains his account of the Island of Tenerife
Tenerife
Tenerife is the largest and most populous island of the seven Canary Islands, it is also the most populated island of Spain, with a land area of 2,034.38 km² and 906,854 inhabitants, 43% of the total population of the Canary Islands. About five million tourists visit Tenerife each year, the...
.
After the Peterloo massacre
Peterloo Massacre
The Peterloo Massacre occurred at St Peter's Field, Manchester, England, on 16 August 1819, when cavalry charged into a crowd of 60,000–80,000 that had gathered to demand the reform of parliamentary representation....
in 1819 he called for an inquiry into the manufacturing districts' plight. His defence of Queen Caroline
Caroline of Brunswick
Caroline of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel was the Queen consort of King George IV of the United Kingdom from 29 January 1820 until her death...
in 1820–21 led to his portrayal in an engraving by Francis Holl.
In 1816 Bennet married Gertrude Frances, daughter of Lord William Russell. They had one son and three daughters. The sudden ending of his career in 1824 (apparently due to the death from consumption of his only son six months after that of a daughter) was followed by a continental trip in 1825. His reputation was ruined by the threat of prosecution for importuning a young male servant at Spa
Spa, Belgium
Spa is a municipality of Belgium. It lies in the country's Walloon Region and Province of Liège. It is situated in a valley in the Ardennes mountain chain, some southeast of Liège, and southwest of Aachen. As of 1 January 2006, Spa had a total population of 10,543...
in August 1825. He remained in exile and gave up his seat in parliament the following year. He and his wife lived near Lake Como in Italy until his death in 1836. Gertrude died in 1841.
Bennet was the author of several pamphlets, and a fellow of the Royal Society
Royal Society
The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, known simply as the Royal Society, is a learned society for science, and is possibly the oldest such society in existence. Founded in November 1660, it was granted a Royal Charter by King Charles II as the "Royal Society of London"...
.