About William Bennet
Lived 1553 – 1609 (aged 55–56). William Bennet was a politician and member of Parliament.
William Bennet (after 1553 – February 1609), of Marlborough, Wiltshire, was an English politician.
Education He was educated at John Roysse's Free School in Abingdon, (now Abingdon School). He was later a student of Gray's Inn.
Career William Bennet was a Member (MP) of the Parliament of England for Ripon in 1593.
Death and legacy He died in February 1609 and left lands to Christ's Hospital of Abingdon.
He was the founder of the Bennet scholarship at Abingdon School which in his will, dated 29 Dec. 1608, made provision for the free education and apprenticeship of six poor boys of Abingdon, to be known as Bennet boys. The regulations for the Bennet Boys were set up on 30 November 1609 by his uncle Thomas Tesdale and his brother Ralph Bennett. The Bennet Boys existed from 1609 until 1870.
His brother John Bennet succeeded him as the MP for Ripon.
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Important facts
People in William Bennet's life
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Contemporaries
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Frequently asked questions
Who was William Bennet?
politician
When was William Bennet born?
William Bennet was born in 1553.
When did William Bennet die?
William Bennet died in 1609.
What was William Bennet's occupation?
William Bennet was a politician and member of Parliament.
Sources & further reading
· DBpedia: William Bennet (MP for Ripon)
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). William Bennet. https://biography.guide/william-bennet-politician-1553/
MLA: "William Bennet." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/william-bennet-politician-1553/.
Chicago: "William Bennet." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/william-bennet-politician-1553/.
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