BELZONI, SARAH. Remarkable for her size and strength; married in London about 1804 Giovanni Baptista Belzoni, acrobat, engineer and traveller who was _b._ Padua 1778 and _d._ at Gato, Benin, Africa 3 Dec. 1823; performed feats of strength with her husband in the streets, at fairs and at Astley’s Amphitheatre; travelled in Egypt with him 1815–19; granted civil list pension of £100 6 Feb. 1851; author of _Account of the women of Egypt, Nubia and Syria_. _d._ Belozanne valley, Jersey 12 Jany. 1870 aged 87. BENBEY, SADI OMBARK. Came to England with Mungo Park whom he taught Arabic language. _d._ 11 Feb. 1854 aged more than 80. BENBOW, JOHN. Solicitor in London; M.P. for Dudley 8 Aug. 1844 to death. _d._ Hastings 24 Feb. 1855 aged 86. BENDIGO, cognomen of WILLIAM THOMPSON (_son of Mr. Thompson of Nottingham, cabinet maker_). _b._ Nottingham 11 Oct. 1811, being one of 3 children at a birth; fought and beat Ben. Caunt 1 July 1835; beat Brassey (John Leechman) 24 May 1836; beat young Langan 24 Jany. 1837; beat Looney 13 June 1837; beaten by Ben. Caunt 3 April 1838; beat Deaf Burke at Heather, Leicestershire 12 Feb. 1839 in presence of 15000 persons; presented with a “Champion’s belt” by James Ward at Queen’s theatre, Liverpool; beat Ben. Caunt near Sutfield Green Oxon, 9 Sep. 1845 when they fought for £200 a side and the championship; fought Tom Paddock for £200 a side at Mildenhall 5 June 1850 when he won again; a preacher and leader of revivalist services at the Cabmen’s Mission hall, King’s Cross, London. _d._ Beeston, Notts. 23 Aug. 1880. _H. D. Miles’s Pugilistica iii_, 1–46 (1880), _portrait_; _J. Greenwoods Low life deeps_ (1876) 86–94, _portrait_; _Rev. C. M. Davies’s Unorthodox London 2 series_ 156–64. NOTE.—His curious name Bendigo was a contraction of Abednego, his first challenge in Bell’s Life in London in 1835 is signed Abednego of Nottingham; the town of Bendigo in Victoria, Australia (since called Sandhurst) was named after him.