William Benn

William Benn (or Ben) (November 1600 – 22 March 1680) was an English ejected minister.

Life Benn was born at Egremont, Cumberland, in November 1600. He was educated at the free school of St. Bees, and Queen's College, Oxford, but left university without taking a degree. When he went to Oakingham he discovered that a contemporary at Oxford, a man named Bateman, had chosen the same parish. Rather than settle it in court, they agreed to share the parish for several years.

Benn, having been chosen as her chaplain by Helena, Marchioness of Northampton (who lived in Somerset), left Oakingham to Bateman and continued with his patroness until 1629. That year he went to Dorchester (at the behest of John White), and through White's influence was made preacher of All Saints there. Anthony Wood reported that he stayed there until 1662 (except for two years, when he assisted White as rector at Lambeth, Surrey in place of Daniel Featley). Besides his constant preaching in his own church, he preached on weekdays to prisoners, building a chapel inside the jail. He preached in conventicles, and was sometimes imprisoned and fined for this.

Family A daughter of Benn's married the minister Theophilus Polwhele.

According to the Church Times, one of his descendents was the Labour politician Tony Benn.