William Gurney Benham
Encyclopedia
Sir William Gurney Benham Kt, JP
, FSA
, FRHistS
, ' onMouseout='HidePop("32744")' href="/topics/Colchester">Colchester, England
- 13 May 1944, also in Colchester) was a newspaper editor, published author and three times Mayor of Colchester
.
Gurney Benham was born on 16 February 1859 and educated at the Merchant Taylors' School
until 1873, and thereafter at Colchester Royal Grammar School
, a school about which he has written, of whose old boys' society he was later President and which still has a building named after him. Gurney Benham was the son of Edward Benham, a printer, and father to Hervey Benham
, himself an author. His first job was as a journalist in Wiltshire
from 1881 to 1884.
He took over the family printing business and edited the Essex County Standard
from 1884. A "conscientious as well as an excellent scholar", he is now mainly known through his many publications, many of which are transcriptions of official documents from mediaeval times, particularly those related to his home town of Colchester. He also compiled a number of books of quotations, leading a reviewer in the Journal of Education to comment after his death, "it is remarkable that one man — Sir William Gurney Benham — was able to collect and arrange some fifty thousand quotations and proverbs". For ten years he was also editor of the Essex Review.
In addition, Gurney Benham was mayor of Colchester three times, for the years 1892/93, 1908/09 and 1933/34, in 1933 was appointed to the honour of High Steward of Colchester
and was knighted in 1935 in recognition of his public service. He remained editor of the Standard until 1943, and was a director of the Colchester Gas Company for over forty years, being chairman until his resignation on grounds of ill health the day before his death on 13 May 1944. Gurney Benham Close, a street in Colchester is named after him.
Justice of the Peace
A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...
, FSA
Society of Antiquaries of London
The Society of Antiquaries of London is a learned society "charged by its Royal Charter of 1751 with 'the encouragement, advancement and furtherance of the study and knowledge of the antiquities and history of this and other countries'." It is based at Burlington House, Piccadilly, London , and is...
, FRHistS
Royal Historical Society
The Royal Historical Society was founded in 1868. The premier society in the United Kingdom which promotes and defends the scholarly study of the past, it is based at University College London...
, ' onMouseout='HidePop("32744")' href="/topics/Colchester">Colchester, England
Colchester
Colchester is an historic town and the largest settlement within the borough of Colchester in Essex, England.At the time of the census in 2001, it had a population of 104,390. However, the population is rapidly increasing, and has been named as one of Britain's fastest growing towns. As the...
- 13 May 1944, also in Colchester) was a newspaper editor, published author and three times Mayor of Colchester
Mayor of Colchester
The Mayor of Colchester sits as non-political chairman of Colchester Borough Council and serves as the civic representative of the borough. The mayoralty is customarily awarded to the most senior councillor of one of the political groups-Current Mayor:...
.
Gurney Benham was born on 16 February 1859 and educated at the 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 ....
until 1873, and thereafter at Colchester Royal Grammar School
Colchester Royal Grammar School
Colchester Royal Grammar School is a grammar school in Colchester, Essex, founded in AD 1206 and granted two Royal Charters by Henry VIII and by Elizabeth I .-Admissions:...
, a school about which he has written, of whose old boys' society he was later President and which still has a building named after him. Gurney Benham was the son of Edward Benham, a printer, and father to Hervey Benham
Hervey Benham
Hervey W G Benham, 1910 - 1987, was the pioneering proprietor of Essex County Newspapers, a prolific author of books on Essex and the East Coast, an accomplished musician and a significant benefactor...
, himself an author. His first job was as a journalist in Wiltshire
Wiltshire
Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
from 1881 to 1884.
He took over the family printing business and edited the Essex County Standard
Essex County Standard
The Essex County Standard is a weekly newspaper, published in Colchester, Essex. As of January 2011, it has an average circulation of 16,614 per issue. It is currently owned by the Newsquest Media Group, part of the American Gannett Company.- History :...
from 1884. A "conscientious as well as an excellent scholar", he is now mainly known through his many publications, many of which are transcriptions of official documents from mediaeval times, particularly those related to his home town of Colchester. He also compiled a number of books of quotations, leading a reviewer in the Journal of Education to comment after his death, "it is remarkable that one man — Sir William Gurney Benham — was able to collect and arrange some fifty thousand quotations and proverbs". For ten years he was also editor of the Essex Review.
In addition, Gurney Benham was mayor of Colchester three times, for the years 1892/93, 1908/09 and 1933/34, in 1933 was appointed to the honour of High Steward of Colchester
High Steward of Colchester
The High Steward of Colchester is a ceremonial office awarded by Colchester Borough Council, Essex, England.The stewardship was established by royal charter of Charles I dated 9 July 1635...
and was knighted in 1935 in recognition of his public service. He remained editor of the Standard until 1943, and was a director of the Colchester Gas Company for over forty years, being chairman until his resignation on grounds of ill health the day before his death on 13 May 1944. Gurney Benham Close, a street in Colchester is named after him.
Publications
- Playing Cards: The History and Secrets of the Pack
- Book of quotations, proverbs and household words (1924, reprinted 1929)
- A Short History of Playing Cards
- Benham's New Book of Quotations
- The oath book; or, Red parchment book of Colchester
External links
- The oath book; or, Red parchment book of Colchester on Archive.org (1907).