Ion Hamilton Benn
Encyclopedia
Captain Sir Ion Hamilton Benn, 1st Baronet CB
DSO
(31 March 1863 – 12 August 1961) was a British
politician and businessman. He was a Conservative
member of parliament
from 1910 to 1922.
Benn was born in County Cork
, Ireland
. He was the third son of the Reverend J. W. Benn, Church of Ireland
rector
of Carrigaline
and Douglas, and his wife Maria (née Hamilton). He was educated at Merchant Taylors' School
and then joined Price & Pierce Ltd, a leading timber
firm. He later became a director and then chairman.
In 1885 he married Frances Charlotte Bridges, with whom he had two children.
In 1900, he was elected to Greenwich Borough Council
and served as mayor
from 1901 to 1902. He was a founder member of the Metropolitan Water Board in 1903. He was a Municipal Reform Party
member of London County Council
representing Greenwich from 1907 to 1910. At the 1906 general election
he was chosen by a the Tariff Reform
faction in the Conservative Party
to stand against Lord Hugh Cecil
the sitting Conservative MP for Greenwich
who was in favour of free trade
. While Benn succeeded in beating Cecil, the split in the Conservative vote allowed Richard Stephens Jackson
of the Liberal Party
to take the seat. At the next general election in January 1910 he was the sole Conservative candidate in the constituency and was elected to parliament
. In parliament, he was a leading opponent of Irish Home Rule.
A long-time member of the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve, he saw active service in the First World War, commanding a flotilla of raiders along the Belgian
coast. He took part in the Zeebrugge Raid
and the Ostend Raids
. He rose to the rank of Captain
, was Mentioned in Despatches three times, received the Distinguished Service Order
(DSO) in 1917, and was appointed Companion of the Order of the Bath
(CB) in 1918. He also received the French
Croix de Guerre
in 1918. For many years, he was chairman of the seamen's Dreadnought Hospital in Greenwich, and became its president in 1949.
Benn was created a baronet
in the 1920 Birthday Honours for his political services. He retired from parliament at the 1922 election
.
Benn was once again a member of the London County Council from 1937 to 1946. He served on the Thames Conservancy Board from 1937 to 1946, and was a director of the Port of London Authority
from its foundation in 1909 until February 1961, when he was 97. He remained active in business in the City of London
until his death at the age of 98.
Benn's first wife died in 1948. He married Katharine Winifred Grier of Montreal
, Canada
in 1950, when he was aged 87. He died at his Kensington
home in August 1961, aged 98.
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
DSO
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
(31 March 1863 – 12 August 1961) was a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
politician and businessman. He was a Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
member of parliament
Parliament of the United Kingdom
The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...
from 1910 to 1922.
Benn was born in County Cork
County Cork
County Cork is a county in Ireland. It is located in the South-West Region and is also part of the province of Munster. It is named after the city of Cork . Cork County Council is the local authority for the county...
, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
. He was the third son of the Reverend J. W. Benn, Church of Ireland
Church of Ireland
The Church of Ireland is an autonomous province of the Anglican Communion. The church operates in all parts of Ireland and is the second largest religious body on the island after the Roman Catholic Church...
rector
Rector
The word rector has a number of different meanings; it is widely used to refer to an academic, religious or political administrator...
of Carrigaline
Carrigaline
Carrigaline is a single-street town in County Cork, Ireland. It is about 12 km from Cork City which can be reached by car in 25 minutes...
and Douglas, and his wife Maria (née Hamilton). He was educated at Merchant Taylors' School
Merchant Taylors' School, Northwood
Merchant Taylors' School is a British independent day school for boys, originally located in the City of London. Since 1933 it has been located at Sandy Lodge in the Three Rivers district of Hertfordshire ....
and then joined Price & Pierce Ltd, a leading timber
Timber
Timber may refer to:* Timber, a term common in the United Kingdom and Australia for wood materials * Timber, Oregon, an unincorporated community in the U.S...
firm. He later became a director and then chairman.
In 1885 he married Frances Charlotte Bridges, with whom he had two children.
In 1900, he was elected to Greenwich Borough Council
Metropolitan Borough of Greenwich
The Metropolitan Borough of Greenwich was a Metropolitan borough in the County of London between 1900 and 1965. Within the area of the borough were the Royal Naval College , the Royal Observatory and Greenwich Park. It bordered the boroughs of Woolwich, Deptford, Lewisham...
and served as mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
from 1901 to 1902. He was a founder member of the Metropolitan Water Board in 1903. He was a Municipal Reform Party
Municipal Reform Party
The Municipal Reform Party was a local party allied to the parliamentary Conservative Party in the County of London. The party contested elections to both the London County Council and metropolitan borough councils of the county from 1906 to 1945.-Formation:...
member of London County Council
London County Council
London County Council was the principal local government body for the County of London, throughout its 1889–1965 existence, and the first London-wide general municipal authority to be directly elected. It covered the area today known as Inner London and was replaced by the Greater London Council...
representing Greenwich from 1907 to 1910. At the 1906 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1906
-Seats summary:-See also:*MPs elected in the United Kingdom general election, 1906*The Parliamentary Franchise in the United Kingdom 1885-1918-External links:***-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987**...
he was chosen by a the Tariff Reform
Tariff Reform League
The Tariff Reform League was a pressure group formed in 1903 to protest against 'unfair' foreign imports and to advocate Imperial Preference to protect British industry from foreign competition. It was well funded and included politicians, intellectuals and businessmen, and was popular with the...
faction in the Conservative Party
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
to stand against Lord Hugh Cecil
Hugh Cecil, 1st Baron Quickswood
Hugh Richard Heathcote Gascoyne-Cecil, 1st Baron Quickswood PC , styled Lord Hugh Cecil until 1941, was a British Conservative Party politician.-Background and education:...
the sitting Conservative MP for Greenwich
Greenwich (UK Parliament constituency)
Greenwich was a parliamentary constituency in South-East London, which returned Members of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1832 to 1997 by the first past the post system.-History:...
who was in favour of free trade
Free trade
Under a free trade policy, prices emerge from supply and demand, and are the sole determinant of resource allocation. 'Free' trade differs from other forms of trade policy where the allocation of goods and services among trading countries are determined by price strategies that may differ from...
. While Benn succeeded in beating Cecil, the split in the Conservative vote allowed Richard Stephens Jackson
Richard Stephens Jackson
Richard Stephens Jackson was a British solicitor and LIberal Party politician.Born in Newington in north Kent, Jackson was the son of John Jackson of Sittingbourne, a surveyor, and his wife Harriet née Tress of Upchurch. Following education at Elm House School in Sittingbourne, he was admitted as...
of the Liberal Party
Liberal Party (UK)
The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...
to take the seat. At the next general election in January 1910 he was the sole Conservative candidate in the constituency and was elected to parliament
Parliament of the United Kingdom
The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...
. In parliament, he was a leading opponent of Irish Home Rule.
A long-time member of the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve, he saw active service in the First World War, commanding a flotilla of raiders along the Belgian
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
coast. He took part in the Zeebrugge Raid
Zeebrugge Raid
The Zeebrugge Raid, which took place on 23 April 1918, was an attempt by the British Royal Navy to neutralize the key Belgian port of Bruges-Zeebrugge...
and the Ostend Raids
First Ostend Raid
The First Ostend Raid was the first of two attacks by the Royal Navy on the German-held port of Ostend during the late spring of 1918 during the First World War...
. He rose to the rank of Captain
Captain (Royal Navy)
Captain is a senior officer rank of the Royal Navy. It ranks above Commander and below Commodore and has a NATO ranking code of OF-5. The rank is equivalent to a Colonel in the British Army or Royal Marines and to a Group Captain in the Royal Air Force. The rank of Group Captain is based on the...
, was Mentioned in Despatches three times, received the Distinguished Service Order
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
(DSO) in 1917, and was appointed Companion of the Order of the Bath
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
(CB) in 1918. He also received the French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
Croix de Guerre
Croix de guerre
The Croix de guerre is a military decoration of France. It was first created in 1915 and consists of a square-cross medal on two crossed swords, hanging from a ribbon with various degree pins. The decoration was awarded during World War I, again in World War II, and in other conflicts...
in 1918. For many years, he was chairman of the seamen's Dreadnought Hospital in Greenwich, and became its president in 1949.
Benn was created a baronet
Baronet
A baronet or the rare female equivalent, a baronetess , is the holder of a hereditary baronetcy awarded by the British Crown...
in the 1920 Birthday Honours for his political services. He retired from parliament at the 1922 election
United Kingdom general election, 1922
The United Kingdom general election of 1922 was held on 15 November 1922. It was the first election held after most of the Irish counties left the United Kingdom to form the Irish Free State, and was won by Andrew Bonar Law's Conservatives, who gained an overall majority over Labour, led by John...
.
Benn was once again a member of the London County Council from 1937 to 1946. He served on the Thames Conservancy Board from 1937 to 1946, and was a director of the Port of London Authority
Port of London Authority
The Port of London Authority is a self-funding public trust established in 1908 by the Port of London Act to govern the Port of London. Its responsibility extends over the Tideway of the River Thames and the authority is responsible for the public right of navigation and for conservancy of the...
from its foundation in 1909 until February 1961, when he was 97. He remained active in business in the City of London
City of London
The City of London is a small area within Greater London, England. It is the historic core of London around which the modern conurbation grew and has held city status since time immemorial. The City’s boundaries have remained almost unchanged since the Middle Ages, and it is now only a tiny part of...
until his death at the age of 98.
Benn's first wife died in 1948. He married Katharine Winifred Grier of Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
in 1950, when he was aged 87. He died at his Kensington
Kensington
Kensington is a district of west and central London, England within the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. An affluent and densely-populated area, its commercial heart is Kensington High Street, and it contains the well-known museum district of South Kensington.To the north, Kensington is...
home in August 1961, aged 98.