William Gurney Benham

Sir William Gurney Benham, FSA, FRHS (; 16 February 1859 – 13 May 1944) was a British newspaper editor, published author and three times Mayor of Colchester.

Early life and family William Benham was born on 16 February 1859 to Edward Benham, a printer, and Mary Carr. He was educated at the Merchant Taylors' School until 1873 In 1884 he took over the family printing business and began his 59-year editorship of the Essex County Standard. in 1933 was appointed to the honour of High Steward of Colchester and was knighted in 1935 in recognition of his public service. he is now mainly known through his many publications, many of which are transcriptions of official documents from mediaeval times, particularly those related to his home town of Colchester. He also compiled a number of books of quotations, leading a reviewer in the Journal of Education to comment after his death, "it is remarkable that one man — Sir William Gurney Benham — was able to collect and arrange some fifty thousand quotations and proverbs". For ten years he was also editor of the Essex Review. Playing Cards: The History and Secrets of the Pack Book of Quotations, Proverbs and Household Words (1924, reprinted 1929)

A Short History of Playing Cards Benham's New Book of Quotations. 1988 The oath book; or, Red parchment book of Colchester

Family In 1880 Benham married, firstly, Maria Louisa Quilter, and they had four children: Cecil Edward Gurney Benham (1881–1929), Violet Inez Benham (1882–1968), Gerald Carr Benham (1883–1962) and Charles Benham (1884–1945). In 1904 he married, secondly, Ethel Hervey Elwes, sister of H. Geoffrey Elwes. The couple had three children: Edith Tayspill Benham (1905–1955), Hervey William Gurney Benham (1910–1987) and Maura Elwes Mary Benham (1912–1995).