John Bennett (English barrister) facts for kids

Sir John Bennett (born around 1658 – died 21 December 1723) was an important British lawyer and politician. He was a member of the Whig party, which was a major political group in Britain at the time. He served in the House of Commons, which is like today's Parliament, from 1708 to 1710.

Early Life and Education

Sir John Bennett was the oldest son of John Bennett and his wife Sarah. His family lived in Westminster and Witham, Essex. When he was about 12 years old, in 1670, he took over from his father.

He started studying law at Greys Inn in 1675. This was a famous place where people learned to become lawyers. By 1683, he was officially allowed to practice law. In the same year, he married Anne Dudson.

His Career as a Lawyer and Politician

Sir John Bennett had a very successful career in law. He held many important jobs, especially for the Duchy of Lancaster. This was a special part of the government that managed land and money for the King or Queen.

• From 1678, he was an attorney for the Duchy's court.
• He also worked as a clerk for the Duchy's council and revenue.
• Later, he became a judge for the Marshalsea court in 1699.
• In 1705, he became a "serjeant-at-law," which was a very high rank for a lawyer.
• He was knighted on 10 July 1706, which meant he was given the title "Sir."

Serving in Parliament

In 1708, Sir John Bennett became a Member of Parliament (MP) for Morpeth. He was elected without anyone running against him. He was a Whig, and he supported some important ideas of his time.

For example, in 1709, he supported a law to allow Palatines to become British citizens. These were people from a region in Germany who had moved to Britain. In 1710, he voted to remove Dr. Sacheverell from his position. Dr. Sacheverell was a clergyman who was seen as going against the government.

Sir John Bennett did not run for Parliament again after 1710.

Family and Later Life

Sir John Bennett's wife, Anne, passed away in 1722. He died on 21 December 1723 and was buried in Witham, Essex.

He and Anne had four sons and two daughters. While his sons did not become Members of Parliament like him, they did follow in his footsteps and became lawyers. Two of his sons even became "masters of chancery," which were important legal roles. His only daughter who was still alive married John Vaughan, 2nd Viscount Lisburne, who was also a Member of Parliament.