P_10433_0464 – Sir William Benson
Born: Unknown
Died: 1712
Sir William Benson, co-owner with various partners of 11 voyages from London and one early slaving voyage from Liverpool between 1700 and 1706, and Sheriff of London 1706-07. He was described as ‘a wealthy iron merchant’ in the History of Parliament entry for his son William (1682-1754).
Title: Sir
First name: William
Middle name: /
Last name: Benson
Aliases: Benson, William
Primary cohort: London
Sex: Male
Religion: /
Social background: /
Primary outcome: /
Political Affiliation: /
Relations
Martha Austin
Spouse
Political Offices Held
Local
Sheriff of the City of London 1706-07.
Bankruptcies
No Information
Geographic experiences
No Information
Internal migrant: Don't know
Foreign born: Don't know
Supplier to slave trade voyages: Yes
Supplier of iron to the RAC.
Creditor to slave trade voyages: Don't know
Philanthropy: Don't know
Plantation owner: Don't know
Sources: The identification of William Benson the slave-trader with Sir William Benson the iron merchant is given at e.g. Pettigrew Freedom's Debt p. 75. PROB 11/528/285 https://georgiangroup.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/GGJ_2002_02-EAVIS.pdf H.J. Paul, 'Suppliers to the Royal African Company and the Royal Navy in the Early Eighteenth Century', in J. Flynn-Paul, War, Entrepreneurs and the State in Europe and the Mediterranean, 1300-1800 (2014) pp. 138-9.
Other Individuals
No information
Organisations
No information
Crossings (12)
41592 - Union (1701 - 1701)
Role: Owner
24272 - Lusitania (1700 - 1700)
Role: Owner
24103 - Samuel and Margaret (1705 - 1706)
Role: Owner
21220 - Africa Gally (1700 - 1701)
Role: Owner
21141 - Samuel and Margaret (1703 - 1703)
Role: Owner
21136 - Africa (1702 - 1703)
Role: Owner
20800 - Neptune (1707 - 1707)
Role: Owner
20799 - Sarah (1707 - 1708)
Role: Owner
20798 - Charles (1707 - 1708)
Role: Owner
15171 - Elizabeth (1701 - 1702)
Role: Owner
15170 - Samuel and Margaret (1701 - 1701)
Role: Owner
20237 - Love's Increase (1700 - 1701)
Role: Owner
Birth
Date: /
Location: /
Death
Date: 1712
Location: /
Burial
Date: 1712
Location: /
Memorial details: Monumental plaque to Sir William Benson and Martha his wife, by Thomas Stayner, in St Mary's Church, Bromley [St Leonard].
Christening: /
Knighthood: /
Baronetcy: /
Peerage: /
Residencies
Bromley St Leonard, Essex
Occupation: /
Schools
No Information
Universities
No Information
Inns of Court
No Information
Military training
No Information
Imperial positions
No Information
Apprenticeships
No Information
Livery company affiliations
No Information
Other business activities
No Information
Was slave trading profitable: Don't know
Will
Value of Total Personalty: /
Value of Known Legacies (where material to total estate): /
Occupation: /
Town/City: /
Courts: PCC
In the will of Sir William Benson made in 1711 he rehearsed the settlement of £10,000 he had made on the marriage of his son William to Eleanor the daughter of Joseph Earle of Bristol, of which he had already laid out £5000 on land in Wiltshire and a further £2608 14s on an annual rental of £105 11s 11d from lands in Poplar and Bromley. He left his residuary estate in trust to secure an annuity of £300 p.a. to his wife and portions for his five younger children.
Legacies
No information
No information