BENTINCK, LORD EDWARD CHARLES CAVENDISH, brother of William Henry Cavendish-Bentinck, 3rd Duke of Portland (qv); b. 3 Mar 1744; in school list 1754; a boarder at Mrs Morel’s house, where he “occupied as many as two or three rooms” (Bentham, Works, x, 27); Christ Church, Oxford, matr. 7 Nov 1761; Grand Tour (France, Netherlands, Gemany) 1764-6; MP Lewes 23 Dec 1766-8, Carlisle 1768-74, Nottinghamshire 11 Jan 1775-96, Clitheroe 1796-1802; m. 23 Dec 1782 Elizabeth, eldest dau. of Richard Cumberland (qv); d. at Brussels 8 Oct 1819.
BENNETT, RICHARD HENRY ALEXANDER, son of Richard Henry Alexander Bennett (qv); b.; adm. 30 May 1777; left 1781; entered Royal Navy; Lieut., 5 May 1790; Cdr., 30 Oct 1793; Post Capt., 1 Jan 1796; MP Launceston 1802-6, Enniskillen 14 Jan 1807-07, Launceston 17 Jul 1807- Apr 1812; d. unm. 11 Oct 1818, aged 47.
BENNETT, RICHARD HENRY ALEXANDER, only son of Bennett Alexander Bennett (qv); stepson of Richard Bull (qv); b.; adm. (aged 9) Jun 1752 (Morel's); in school list 1754; MP Newport (Cornwall) 12 Feb 1770-4; of North Court, Shorwell, Isle of Wight; FSA 20 Jun 1765; FRS 10 Dec 1767; m. 20 Jan 1766 Elizabeth Amelia, eldest dau. of Peter Burrell MP, Beckenham, Kent, Surveyor-Gen. of Crown Lands, and sister of Peter Burrell, 1st Baron Gwydir; d. 14 Mar 1814.
Bennett, Sir Frederic Mackarness, brother of Francis Ernest Herman Bennett (qv); b. 2 Dec. 1918; adm. 20 Sept. 1932 (R); left Apr. 1936; RA 1940-6 (Maj.); called to the Bar (Lincoln's Inn) Nov. 1946, to the Southern Rhodesia Bar 1947; dipl. correspondent Birmingham Post 1950-2; MP (C) Reading North 1951-5, Torquay 1955-74, Torbay 1974-87; PPS to Under-Sec. of State, Home Office, 1953-5, to Rt Hon. Reginald Maudling as Min. of Supply 1956-7, Paymaster Gen. 1957-9, Pres. of Board of Trade 1959-61; Leader of UK Delegation and Chairman Council of Europe and WEU Assemblies 1979-87; dir. Kleinwort Benson Europe SA and many other financial companies and trusts; Kt 1964; PC 1985; m. March 1945 Marion Patricia, d. of Maj. Cecil Burnham OBE FRCS RAMC; d. 14 Sep. 2002
BENNET, HENRY, 1ST EARL OF ARLINGTON, second son of Sir John Bennet, Kt, Dawley, Middlesex, and Dorothy, dau. of Sir John Crofts, Kt, Saxham, Suffolk; b.; at school under Osbaldeston (Evelyn, Diary, s. v. 10 Sep 1677); Christ Church, Oxford, matr. 6 Nov 1635, aged 15, Canoneer Student 1636 - still 1642; BA 1639; MA 1642; DCL 28 Sep 1663; joined Royal Army as volunteer at outbreak of Civil War; received lifelong scar on nose in skirmish at Andover; travelled in France and Italy; secretary to the exiledJames, Duke of York, 1654; knighted at Bruges Mar 1656/7; envoy of Charles II at Madrid Jun 1658 - Apr 1661; Keeper of Privy Purse 2 Aug 1661 - Oct 1662; Secretary of State, Southern Dept., 2 Oct 1662 - 11 Sep 1674; Privy Councillor 15 Oct 1662, resworn 21 Apr 1679; MP Callington Feb 1663 - Mar 1664/5; cr. Baron Arlington 14 Mar 1664/5; concluded the Triple Alliance 1668; a member of the Cabal Ministry; arranged the secret Treaty of Dover 1670; cr. Earl of Arlington 22 Apr 1672; KG 15 Jun 1672; impeached in House of Commons for his evil advice to the King, 15 Jan 1674, but a motion for his removal from office was rejected; Lord Chamberlain from 11 Sep 1674; Postmaster-General 28 Jun 1677; Lord Lieut., Suffolk 12 Mar 1681 - 6 May 1685; lived latterly on his estate at Euston, Suffolk; m. 1666 Isabella, dau. of Louis de Nassau, Lord of Beverwaert; d. 28 Jul 1685. DNB.
Benn, Anthony Neil Wedgwood, brother of Hon. Michael Julius Wedgwood Benn (qv); b. 3 Apr. 1925; adm. Sept. 1938 (B); left July 1942; New Coll. Oxf., matric. 1942, BA 1946, MA 1949, hon. Fellow 2005; RAFVR 1943-5, RNVR 1945-6; Pres. of Oxford Union 1947; producer BBC N. American Service 1949-50; MP (Lab. ) Bristol South-East Dec. 1950-60 and Aug. 1963-83, Chesterfield Mar. 1984-2001; succ. his father as 2nd Viscount Stansgate 17 Nov. 1960; unsuccessfully attempted to renounce his succession in 1955 and 1960, and after winning a by-election at Bristol South-East in May 1961 was disqualified from taking his seat; later instigated the Peerage Act 1963, and renounced the title for life; chmn. Fabian Soc. 1964; Postmaster-General 1964-6, founding the PO Giro; PC 1964; Min. of Technology 1966-70, assuming responsibility for Aviation in 1967, for Power 1969; hon. LLD Strathclyde Univ. 1969, hon. DTech Bradford Univ. 1969, hon. DSc Aston Univ., 1970; Sec. of State for Industry 1974-5, for Energy 1975-9; member NEC, Lab. Party 1959-60, 1962-93, chmn. 1971-2; pres., Campaign Group of Labour MPs 1987-2001; pres., Stop the War Coalition 2004-14; author of a number of works on political subjects; published nine volumes of his diaries; m. 17 June 1949 Caroline, d. of James Miltonn De Camp of Cincinnati, USA; d. 14 Mar. 2014.
Bell, William Cory Heward, son of William Heward Bell, of Seend, Wilts, by Hannah, eldest daughter of W. Cory, of London; b. Oct. 21, 1875; adm. as Q.S. Sept. 1889; left Jan. 1893; R.M.A. Woolwich Aug. 1893; 2nd Lieut. R. A. Nov. 2, 1895; Lieut. Nov. 2, 1898; Capt. Nov. 19, 1901; served in the South African War 1902; retired on half-pay Aug. 23, 1911; rejoined on mobilization Aug. 3, 1914, and in Nov. following went out to the western front, where he served with the Artillery of the 1st Div. until Jan. 1919; Major Nov. 16, 1915; Lieut.-Col. Dec. 22, 1917, placed in Reserve of Officers Dec. 29, 1918; mentioned in despatches L. G. Jan. 1, 1916, and Jan. 4, 1917; D.S.O. Jan. 1917; Croix de Guerre 1918; M. P. Wilts (Devizes) Dec. 1918 - Nov. 1923; High Sheriff of Wilts 1932; D. L. Wilts 1952; m. 1903, Violet Mary, daughter of Capt. James Devereux Bowley, R.E.; d. Feb. 25, 1961.
Beechman, Nevil Alexander, son of Charles Beechman, of Hampstead, Middlesex, by Emily, daughter of S. Frankel, of Hampstead; b. Aug. 5, 1896; adm. Sept. 22, 1910 (H); migrated up Rigaud's; non-resident K.S. 1911; left (with Triplett) July 1915; Ball. Coll., Oxon., Domus Exhibitioner (Classics) 1915, matric. Michaelmas 1919; joint editor and founder of the Oiford Outlook 1919; Secretary of the Union Society 1920, President 1921; B.A. 1922; 2nd Lieut. E. Surrey Regt. May 28, 1915, attached 21st Batt. K. R. R. C.; Capt. July 20, 1917; served in France from Sept. 1916 until he was wounded Sept. 21, 1917; M.C. Sept. 26, 1917; called to the bar at the Inner Temple Jan. 26, 1923; K.C. 1947; M. P. for St. Ives 1937-50; Parliamentary Private Sec. to the Minister of Health 1941-2; Chief Whip of the Liberal National Party 1942-45; a Lord Commissioner of the Treasury 1943-5; m. July 11, 1953; Mary Gwendolen, widow of Capt. Garth Caradoc Williams, R.E.
BECKFORD, WILLIAM, second son of Peter Beckford, West Indian planter, Speaker of the Jamaica Assembly, and Bathsheba, dau. of Col. Julines Hering, Paul Island, Jamaica; bapt. 19 Dec 1709; adm. (aged 9) Jan 1718/9; Balliol Coll. Oxford, matr. 17 Dec 1725; BA 1729; MA 1732; Leiden Univ. 1731; a medical student in Leiden and Paris to 1735; succeeded brother in Jamaican estates 1737; settled in England 1744; purchased Fonthill Abbey estate, Wiltshire, 1745; a West India merchant in London; Alderman, City of London (Bishopsgate Ward) from 25 Jun 1752, Sheriff of London 1755-6, Lord Mayor 1762-3, 1769-70; Master, Ironmongers’ Co., 1753; MP Shaftesbury 8 Dec 1747-54, City of London from 1754; a Tory on his entry to politics, but from 1756 onwards a staunch supporter of William Pitt; gave his backing to John Wilkes; his famous impromptu speech to King George III on the misdeeds of his ministers, 23 May 1770, was subsequently inscribed on the monument erected to his memory in Guildhall; laid the foundation stone of the new Newgate Prison 31 May 1770; m. 8 Jun 1756 Maria, widow of Francis Marsh, Jamaica, and sister of John Hamilton (qv); d. while Lord Mayor 21 Jun 1770. DNB.
BECKFORD, RICHARD, brother of William Beckford (adm. Jan. 1718/9, qv); bapt. 3 Feb 1711/2; adm. (aged 9) Jul 1721; in under school list 1724; Balliol Coll. Oxford, matr. 15 Jan 1727/8; migrated to University Coll.; BA 1731; adm. Middle Temple 17 Jun 1730, called to bar 6 Feb 1735/6; landowner in Jamaica; MP Bristol from 1754; Alderman, City of London (Farringdon Ward Without) from 29 Oct 1754; Prime Warden, Goldsmiths’ Co., 1755; d. unm. at Lyon, France 24 Jan 1756.