John Bennet (judge)
Encyclopedia
Sir John Bennet was a judge and politician, whose career ended in disgrace after he was found guilty of extorting bribes and excessive fees.
family, being the second son of Richard Bennet of Clapcot in that county (now in Oxfordshire
) and his wife, Elizabeth, the daughter of Thomas Tesdale of Stanford Dingley
and Abingdon
, also in Berkshire (the latter now in Oxfordshire) and half-sister of Thomas Tesdale
, the founder of Pembroke College, Oxford
. He was probably educated at Abingdon School
(now Oxfordshire
) – his family were benefactors – before attending Christ Church, Oxford
. He matriculated
in 1573, obtained his BA in 1577 and his MA in 1580. Receiving a MA from Cambridge in 1583, he returned to Oxford and was elected a proctor
later that year. He was awarded his BCL
and DCL
at the same time by special dispensation in 1589, and in the following year was admitted as an advocate in the Court of Arches. He began his career as a judge in the Diocese of York
, probably through the influence of John Piers
, the Archbishop of York
, who had been the Dean of Christ Church. He was chancellor of the diocese and joint commissary of the exchequer court. In 1591 he was appointed to the prebend of Langtoft
. He advanced his career in other areas, serving as a legal adviser to a commission negotiating with Scotland about the security of the border, and was later appointed to the Council of the North
.
He was MP for Ripon
in 1597 and 1604 and for York in 1601. During his time in Parliament, he defended the ecclesiastical courts but was unsuccessful in preventing a bill prohibiting married men residing with their families in the colleges of Oxford and Cambridge Universities. In 1604 he became judge of the Prerogative Court
of Canterbury
, retaining his positions in York as commissary until 1609 and chancellor until 1624. He was a member of the High Court of Delegates, hearing appeals from ecclesiastical and admiralty courts, and the Court of High Commission. In 1608 he was appointed a Master in Chancery and in 1611 was appointed to the council of Queen Anne
, wife of James I
. He was growing in wealth and status and is reported to have offered £30,000 to become Lord Chancellor
, without success.
Bennet, who was interested in the affairs of Oxford University, was asked by Sir Thomas Bodley
to act as fund-raiser for the Bodleian Library
, a task he carried out efficiently. Bennet was one of the first governors of Pembroke College, Oxford
and MP for the university constituency
in 1614 and 1621. However, he was accused by Richard Kilvert in Parliament of extracting bribes and excessive fees in his judicial work. The issue was debated in his absence, Bennet pleading ill-health, and it was decided that he should be expelled from the House of Commons and the case referred to the House of Lords. He was placed under house arrest. When he appeared before the House of Lords, he said that he could account for all but £4,000 of the money that had passed through his hands. He was bailed in the sum of £20,000 and ordered to pay to Oxford University £1,000 that he still had as executor of Thomas Bodley's estate: he only paid £550. When the case was eventually tried, Bennet's counsel put up a weak defence. Bennet was fined £20,000, but punishments of imprisonment and disqualification from office were later lifted. It was said that his profiteering from his post overshadowed that of Francis Bacon
: "Sir John Bennet hath made my Lord Chancellor an honest man". He died on 15 February 1627.
Life
Bennet was from a prosperous BerkshireBerkshire
Berkshire is a historic county in the South of England. It is also often referred to as the Royal County of Berkshire because of the presence of the royal residence of Windsor Castle in the county; this usage, which dates to the 19th century at least, was recognised by the Queen in 1957, and...
family, being the second son of Richard Bennet of Clapcot in that county (now in Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire is a county in the South East region of England, bordering on Warwickshire and Northamptonshire , Buckinghamshire , Berkshire , Wiltshire and Gloucestershire ....
) and his wife, Elizabeth, the daughter of Thomas Tesdale of Stanford Dingley
Stanford Dingley
Stanford Dingley is a village and civil parish in Berkshire, England. It is also an ecclesiastical parish within the Diocese of Oxford, part of the Church of England.It is situated in the West Berkshire district, between Newbury and Theale....
and Abingdon
Abingdon
Abingdon may refer to the following places:In Australia :* Abingdon, Queensland, a place in Northern QueenslandIn Britain:*Abingdon, Oxfordshire**Abingdon School**Abingdon Abbey**Abingdon Lock**Abingdon Bridge**Abingdon Air & Country Show...
, also in Berkshire (the latter now in Oxfordshire) and half-sister of Thomas Tesdale
Thomas Tesdale
Thomas Tesdale was an English maltster, benefactor of the town of Abingdon in the English county of Berkshire and the primary founding benefactor of Pembroke College, Oxford.-Life and career:...
, the founder of Pembroke College, Oxford
Pembroke College, Oxford
Pembroke College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England, located in Pembroke Square. As of 2009, Pembroke had an estimated financial endowment of £44.9 million.-History:...
. He was probably educated at Abingdon School
Abingdon School
Abingdon School is a British day and boarding independent school for boys situated in Abingdon, Oxfordshire , previously known as Roysse's School. In 1998 a formal merger took place between Abingdon School and Josca's, a preparatory school four miles to the west at Frilford...
(now Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire is a county in the South East region of England, bordering on Warwickshire and Northamptonshire , Buckinghamshire , Berkshire , Wiltshire and Gloucestershire ....
) – his family were benefactors – before attending Christ Church, Oxford
Christ Church, Oxford
Christ Church or house of Christ, and thus sometimes known as The House), is one of the largest constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England...
. He matriculated
Matriculation
Matriculation, in the broadest sense, means to be registered or added to a list, from the Latin matricula – little list. In Scottish heraldry, for instance, a matriculation is a registration of armorial bearings...
in 1573, obtained his BA in 1577 and his MA in 1580. Receiving a MA from Cambridge in 1583, he returned to Oxford and was elected a proctor
Proctor
Proctor, a variant of the word procurator, is a person who takes charge of, or acts for, another. The word proctor is frequently used to describe someone who oversees an exam or dormitory.The title is used in England in three principal senses:...
later that year. He was awarded his BCL
Bachelor of Civil Law
Bachelor of Civil Law is the name of various degrees in law conferred by English-language universities. Historically, it originated as a postgraduate degree in the universities of Oxford and Cambridge, but many universities now offer the BCL as an undergraduate degree...
and DCL
Doctor of Civil Law
Doctor of Civil Law is a degree offered by some universities, such as the University of Oxford, instead of the more common Doctor of Laws degrees....
at the same time by special dispensation in 1589, and in the following year was admitted as an advocate in the Court of Arches. He began his career as a judge in the Diocese of York
Diocese of York
The Diocese of York is an administrative division of the Church of England, part of the Province of York. It covers the city of York, the eastern part of North Yorkshire, and most of the East Riding of Yorkshire....
, probably through the influence of John Piers
John Piers
John Piers was Archbishop of York between 1589–1594. Previous to that he had been Bishop of Rochester and Bishop of Salisbury.-Life:...
, the Archbishop of York
Archbishop of York
The Archbishop of York is a high-ranking cleric in the Church of England, second only to the Archbishop of Canterbury. He is the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of York and metropolitan of the Province of York, which covers the northern portion of England as well as the Isle of Man...
, who had been the Dean of Christ Church. He was chancellor of the diocese and joint commissary of the exchequer court. In 1591 he was appointed to the prebend of Langtoft
Langtoft, East Riding of Yorkshire
Langtoft is a small village and civil parish in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. Situated north of Driffield town centre and lying on the B1249 between Driffield and Foxholes.According to the 2001 UK census, Langtoft parish had a population of 457....
. He advanced his career in other areas, serving as a legal adviser to a commission negotiating with Scotland about the security of the border, and was later appointed to the Council of the North
Council of the North
The Council of the North was an administrative body originally set up in 1484 by king Richard III of England, the third and last Yorkist monarch to hold the Crown of England; its intention was to improve government control and economic prosperity, to benefit the entire area of Northern England...
.
He was MP for Ripon
Ripon (UK Parliament constituency)
Ripon was a constituency sending members to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom until 1983, centred on the city of Ripon in North Yorkshire.-History:...
in 1597 and 1604 and for York in 1601. During his time in Parliament, he defended the ecclesiastical courts but was unsuccessful in preventing a bill prohibiting married men residing with their families in the colleges of Oxford and Cambridge Universities. In 1604 he became judge of the Prerogative Court
Prerogative court
A prerogative court is a court through which the discretionary powers, privileges, and legal immunities reserved to the sovereign were exercised. In England in the 17th century a clash developed between these courts, representing the crown's authority, and common law courts. Prerogative courts...
of Canterbury
Diocese of Canterbury
The Diocese of Canterbury is a Church of England diocese covering eastern Kent, founded by St. Augustine of Canterbury in 597. It is centred on Canterbury Cathedral, and is the oldest see of the Church of England....
, retaining his positions in York as commissary until 1609 and chancellor until 1624. He was a member of the High Court of Delegates, hearing appeals from ecclesiastical and admiralty courts, and the Court of High Commission. In 1608 he was appointed a Master in Chancery and in 1611 was appointed to the council of Queen Anne
Anne of Denmark
Anne of Denmark was queen consort of Scotland, England, and Ireland as the wife of King James VI and I.The second daughter of King Frederick II of Denmark, Anne married James in 1589 at the age of fourteen and bore him three children who survived infancy, including the future Charles I...
, wife of James I
James I of England
James VI and I was King of Scots as James VI from 24 July 1567 and King of England and Ireland as James I from the union of the English and Scottish crowns on 24 March 1603...
. He was growing in wealth and status and is reported to have offered £30,000 to become Lord Chancellor
Lord Chancellor
The Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain, or Lord Chancellor, is a senior and important functionary in the government of the United Kingdom. He is the second highest ranking of the Great Officers of State, ranking only after the Lord High Steward. The Lord Chancellor is appointed by the Sovereign...
, without success.
Bennet, who was interested in the affairs of Oxford University, was asked by Sir Thomas Bodley
Thomas Bodley
Sir Thomas Bodley was an English diplomat and scholar, founder of the Bodleian Library, Oxford.-Biography:...
to act as fund-raiser for the Bodleian Library
Bodleian Library
The Bodleian Library , the main research library of the University of Oxford, is one of the oldest libraries in Europe, and in Britain is second in size only to the British Library...
, a task he carried out efficiently. Bennet was one of the first governors of Pembroke College, Oxford
Pembroke College, Oxford
Pembroke College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England, located in Pembroke Square. As of 2009, Pembroke had an estimated financial endowment of £44.9 million.-History:...
and MP for the university constituency
Oxford University (UK Parliament constituency)
Oxford University was a university constituency electing two members to the British House of Commons, from 1603 to 1950.-Boundaries, Electorate and Electoral System:...
in 1614 and 1621. However, he was accused by Richard Kilvert in Parliament of extracting bribes and excessive fees in his judicial work. The issue was debated in his absence, Bennet pleading ill-health, and it was decided that he should be expelled from the House of Commons and the case referred to the House of Lords. He was placed under house arrest. When he appeared before the House of Lords, he said that he could account for all but £4,000 of the money that had passed through his hands. He was bailed in the sum of £20,000 and ordered to pay to Oxford University £1,000 that he still had as executor of Thomas Bodley's estate: he only paid £550. When the case was eventually tried, Bennet's counsel put up a weak defence. Bennet was fined £20,000, but punishments of imprisonment and disqualification from office were later lifted. It was said that his profiteering from his post overshadowed that of Francis Bacon
Francis Bacon
Francis Bacon, 1st Viscount St Albans, KC was an English philosopher, statesman, scientist, lawyer, jurist, author and pioneer of the scientific method. He served both as Attorney General and Lord Chancellor of England...
: "Sir John Bennet hath made my Lord Chancellor an honest man". He died on 15 February 1627.