BESSONET, JAMES. Called to Irish bar 1807; K.C. 13 July 1830; chairman of sessions for county Waterford. _d._ 21 Lower Leeson st. Dublin 3 Oct. 1859 aged 76. BEST, SAMUEL. Second lieut. Madras Engineers 16 Dec. 1825; captain 9 May 1842 to death; planned fortifications of Singapore; superintendent of roads in Madras, Presidency 1845 to death; his principal works are the Southern Trunk road and the Goolcheroo pass; contributed many papers to _Madras Literary transactions_ and _Madras Engineering papers_. _d._ of jungle fever at Chittoor 5 Oct. 1851. BEST, REV. SAMUEL (_3 son of 1 Baron Wynford 1767–1845_). _b._ 2 Dec. 1802; ed. at King’s college Cam., fellow, B.A. 1826, M.A. 1830; R. of Abbots-Anne, Andover 1831 to death; rural dean of Andover; author of _Parochial sermons_ 1836; _Manual of parochial institutions_ 1849; _Catechism on collects_ 1850; _Discourses on collects, epistles and gospels_ 1853. _d._ The rectory, Abbots-Anne 20 Jany. 1873. BEST, THOMAS (_brother of the preceding_). _b._ 12 Aug. 1799; entered navy 3 Nov. 1812; captain 22 July 1830; V.A. on h.p. 10 Nov. 1862. _d._ 19 Hyde park sq. London 4 Sep. 1864. BEST, WILLIAM MAWDESLEY (_eld. son of Thomas Best, captain 26 Foot who d. 8 Oct. 1813_). _b._ 24 Dec. 1809; ed. at Trin. coll. Dub., B.A. 1831, LL.B. 1832, M.A. 1834; barrister G.I. 11 June 1834, bencher 16 Jany. 1867; author of _Right to begin and right to reply in law courts_ 1837; _Treatise on circumstantial proof in criminal cases_ 1844; _Principles of the law of evidence_ 1849, _7 ed._ 1883. _d._ 17 Nov. 1869. BESTOW, WILLIAM (_son of Wm. Bestow of 124 Wood st. Cheapside, London, web manufacturer_). _b._ 14 Feb. 1789; partly founded several papers; founded _Theatrical Journal, a weekly record of the English drama_ 1840, edited it to Nov. 1872, 33 vols., it ceased 16 April 1873; wrote several political pamphlets. _d._ 20 Frederick st. King’s Cross, London 30 April 1873. BETHAM, MARY MATILDA (_eld. dau. of Rev. Wm. Betham 1749–1839, master of endowed school at Stonham Aspal, Suffolk 1784–1833_). _b._ 1776 or 1777; gave Shakespearian readings in London about 1803; author of _Elegies_ 1797; _Biographical dictionary of celebrated women_ 1804; _Poems_ 1808; _The lay of Marie, a poem_ 1816. _d._ 36 Burton st. Burton crescent, London 30 Sep. 1852 aged 76. _Six life studies of famous women by M. Betham-Edwards_ (1880) 231–303, _portrait_; _Fraser’s Mag. July 1878_, 73–84.