BENNETT, SIR WILLIAM STERNDALE (_youngest child of Robert Bennett of Sheffield, organist of the parish church who d. 3 Nov. 1819_). _b._ 8 Norfolk Row, Sheffield 13 April 1816; ed. at Royal Academy of Music, London 1826–36, and at Leipsic 1836–37; member of Royal Society of Musicians 1838; taught music in London; founded the Bach Society 1849; professor of music at Univ. of Cam. 4 March 1856; Mus. Doc. Cam. 1856, M.A. 1867; D.C.L. Ox. 1870; a life member of St. John’s coll. Cam. 26 Sep. 1856; conductor of Philharmonic Society concerts 1856–68, Beethoven gold medallist 7 July 1867; principal of Royal Academy of Music 22 June 1866 to death; knighted at Windsor Castle 24 March 1871; composed _The Naiads_, overture produced at Society of British Musicians 25 Jany. 1837; _The wood nymphs_, overture produced at the Gewandhaus concerts Leipzig 24 Jany. 1839; _The May Queen_, pastoral produced at Leeds musical festival 8 Sep. 1858; _The woman of Samaria_, oratorio produced at Birmingham musical festival 27 Aug. 1867. (_m._ 9 April 1844 Mary Anne only dau. of James Wood, commander R.N., she _d._ 17 Oct. 1862 aged 37.) _d._ 66 St. John’s Wood road London 1 Feb. 1875. _bur._ north aisle of choir Westminster Abbey 6 Feb. _Grove’s Dictionary of music i_, 224–29 (1879); _W. A. Barrett’s English Church composers_ (1882) 163–65; _Academy vii_, 154, 179, 388, 466 (1875); _I.L.N. xl_, 551 (1862), _portrait, lxvi_, 152, 326 (1875), _portrait_. BENNIS, GEORGE GEARY. _b._ Corkamore, Limerick 1790 or 1793; a grocer at Limerick; settled at Liverpool where he became a Quaker; went to Paris 1823; director of a libraire des étrangers in Paris 1830–36; an insurance agent and librarian to the British embassy, Paris; edited _Galignani’s Messenger_; chevalier of the Légion d’honneur 1854; author of _The principles of the one faith professed by all Christians, Liverpool_ 1816, _3 ed. Paris_ 1826; _Traveller’s pocket diary and Student’s journal_; _Treatise on life assurance_. _d._ Paris 1 Jany. 1866, left over 10,000 volumes to found a free library at Limerick. _J. Smith’s A descriptive catalogue of Friends books i_, 246 (1867). BENSON, CHARLES. Ed. at Trin. coll. Dublin, scholar 1818, B.A. 1819, M.A. and M.B. 1822, M.D. 1840; L.R.C.S. Ireland 1821, F.R.C.S. 1825, pres. 1854; professor of practice of medicine in school attached to the college; M.R.I.A. 30 Nov. 1825; physician to City of Dublin hospital; contributed 4 articles to _Todd’s Cyclopædia of anatomy_ and a course of lectures on the Diseases of the digestive organs to _Dublin Medical Press_ 1840–42. _d._ 42 Fitzwilliam sq. Dublin 21 Jany. 1880 in 83 year.