Thomas Jewell Bennett
Encyclopedia
Sir Thomas Jewell Bennett (16 May 1852, Wisbech
– 16 January 1925 at 38 Hans Place, London) was a British journalist and Conservative Party
politician. He is most notable as an editor of The Times of India
, as well as its principal proprietor. He was also the Member of Parliament
(MP) for the Sevenoaks
constituency from 1918 to 1923.
Bennett took up the career of journalism
and became assistant editor of the Western Daily Press
in Bristol
, after which he was a leader writer
at The Standard. In 1884 he went out to Bombay in British India, where for eight years he was an associate editor of the Bombay Gazette. He was later both editor and principal proprietor of the Times of India. He left India in 1901, when 3,000 Guzerat farmers presented him with an address thanking him for supporting their grievances. In 1902 he was awarded the silver medal of the Society of Arts for an article on the British in the Persian Gulf
and became a Fellow
of the University of Bombay.
He contested the Brigg
constituency unsuccessfully in 1910 before being elected for Sevenoaks
in 1918. He also represented the Diocese of Rochester
in the National Assembly of the Church of England
.
Wisbech
Wisbech is a market town, inland port and civil parish with a population of 20,200 in the Fens of Cambridgeshire. The tidal River Nene runs through the centre of the town and is spanned by two bridges...
– 16 January 1925 at 38 Hans Place, London) was a British journalist and 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...
politician. He is most notable as an editor of The Times of India
The Times of India
The Times of India is an Indian English-language daily newspaper. TOI has the largest circulation among all English-language newspaper in the world, across all formats . It is owned and managed by Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd...
, as well as its principal proprietor. He was also the Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
(MP) for the Sevenoaks
Sevenoaks (UK Parliament constituency)
Sevenoaks is a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election...
constituency from 1918 to 1923.
Bennett took up the career of journalism
Journalism
Journalism is the practice of investigation and reporting of events, issues and trends to a broad audience in a timely fashion. Though there are many variations of journalism, the ideal is to inform the intended audience. Along with covering organizations and institutions such as government and...
and became assistant editor of the Western Daily Press
Western Daily Press
The Western Daily Press is a regional newspaper covering parts of South West England , mainly Gloucestershire, Wiltshire and Somerset as well as the metropolitan areas of Bath and North East Somerset and the Bristol area. It is published Monday to Saturday in Bristol, UK...
in Bristol
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
, after which he was a leader writer
Leader writer
A Leader Writer is a senior journalist in a British newspaper who is charged with writing the paper's editorial either in the absence of the editor or in cases where the editor chooses not to write editorials because their editorial skills may rest more in management of the company than in writing...
at The Standard. In 1884 he went out to Bombay in British India, where for eight years he was an associate editor of the Bombay Gazette. He was later both editor and principal proprietor of the Times of India. He left India in 1901, when 3,000 Guzerat farmers presented him with an address thanking him for supporting their grievances. In 1902 he was awarded the silver medal of the Society of Arts for an article on the British in the Persian Gulf
Persian Gulf
The Persian Gulf, in Southwest Asia, is an extension of the Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.The Persian Gulf was the focus of the 1980–1988 Iran-Iraq War, in which each side attacked the other's oil tankers...
and became a Fellow
Fellow
A fellow in the broadest sense is someone who is an equal or a comrade. The term fellow is also used to describe a person, particularly by those in the upper social classes. It is most often used in an academic context: a fellow is often part of an elite group of learned people who are awarded...
of the University of Bombay.
He contested the Brigg
Brigg (UK Parliament constituency)
Brigg was a county constituency centred on the town of Brigg in North Lincolnshire. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the first-past-the-post voting system....
constituency unsuccessfully in 1910 before being elected for Sevenoaks
Sevenoaks (UK Parliament constituency)
Sevenoaks is a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election...
in 1918. He also represented the Diocese of Rochester
Diocese of Rochester
The Diocese of Rochester is a Church of England diocese in South-East England and forms part of the Province of Canterbury. It is an ancient diocese, having been established in 604; only the neighbouring Diocese of Canterbury is older in the Church of England....
in the National Assembly of the Church of England
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
.