Joseph Bennet facts for kids

Joseph Bennet (1629–1707) was a special kind of Christian minister in Sussex, England. He was known as a Nonconformist, meaning he didn't agree with all the rules of the official Church of England at the time. Joseph Bennet was famous for being a very powerful preacher.

People really admired Bennet because he stayed with his community for over twenty years. This was even after he was officially fired from his job as a minister. He was fired because of disagreements about church rules. What's more, his official replacement left the town when a terrible sickness, the plague, hit in 1665. But Joseph Bennet stayed to help his people.

Life Story

Early Years

Joseph Bennet was born in 1629. His father, also named Joseph Bennet, was a church leader in a place called Warbleton in east Sussex. His mother, Anne Lord, also came from a family of church leaders.

Sadly, Joseph's father died in 1635 when Joseph was young. He then grew up with his uncle in a nearby town called Brightling. He went to Tonbridge Grammar School. When he was sixteen, in 1645, Bennet started studying at St John's College, Cambridge. He received financial help for his studies, probably by doing some chores at the college. This was a very difficult time in England because of the English Civil War. This war was very bloody and ended with the king, Charles I, being executed in 1649. Bennet finished his degree in 1649 or 1650. His first job was working for a rich family as their chaplain.

His uncle wanted Joseph to become the minister for Brightling. But the minister who was there temporarily didn't want to leave. So, Bennet only became the minister in Brightling in 1658. By then, he was already known as a great preacher in nearby towns like Hooe and Burwash.

Challenging Times

In 1660, a new king came to power in England. This was called the Restoration. The new government wanted to make sure the official church was strong again. They passed a law in 1662 called the Act of Uniformity. This law made church services and rules very strict and standard. Joseph Bennet, along with over 2,000 other ministers, refused to follow these new rules. Because of this, he was removed from his church job on February 23, 1662.

Even though he was fired, Joseph stayed in Brightling. He had many friends and family there. He opened a school, which did very well until 1665. His uncle, John Lord, became the new minister of Brightling.

The year 1665 was important for Joseph Bennet. A terrible sickness called the plague spread across England. Brightling was hit very hard. Joseph Lord, the new minister, ran away to avoid getting sick. But Bennet was brave. He stayed in the town and helped the people who were dying "in great numbers." At this time, ministers like Joseph Bennet who didn't follow the 1662 Act were officially called Nonconformists.

In 1665, another law was passed called the Five Mile Act. This law said that "nonconforming" ministers couldn't live within five miles of their old church. But because Joseph Bennet was so well-liked and respected for staying during the plague, people usually didn't report him. He kept helping the town, even reopening his school after the plague ended. He stayed in Brightling for more than twenty years. In 1672, the king tried to make things more tolerant for different religions with a "Declaration of Indulgence." Bennet was allowed to teach as a Presbyterian at his home. But the king had to change his mind in 1673 because Parliament disagreed. Bennet sometimes had to go to court, but his "friends" always helped him avoid serious trouble.

It's a bit of a mystery how Bennet supported his growing family. Some of his students lived with him, and he might have rented out rooms. A historian named Edmund Calamy wrote that Bennet's motto was, "God's good providence be mine inheritance." This meant he trusted God to provide for him. And even though he was never rich, he always had enough.

New Rulers, New Freedoms

When a new king came to power in 1685, political tensions grew. Joseph Bennet was accused of treason for preaching at a service that celebrated the Duke of Monmouth's rebellion against the king. But the rebellion failed quickly. Bennet avoided being punished because "influential friends" helped him. Two years later, a new law called the Toleration Act was passed. This law made it easier for Nonconformists. After this, Joseph Bennet moved to the village of Burwash. He continued to run a school and preached regularly to a group of people in Hellingly, about 12 miles (20 km) away.

Later Life

In 1688, there was another big change in England when a new king arrived. This king believed in religious tolerance, meaning he thought people should be free to practice their religion (though not for Roman Catholics). Many politicians started to agree. Nonconformist preachers like Bennet no longer had to worry about being officially suspected. From 1690, Joseph Bennet received money each year from a special fund set up by religious groups in London to help ministers who didn't have much money. In 1696, he moved again, this time to Hastings, a town on the south coast of Sussex. Here, he continued to lead a Presbyterian church group. However, towards the end of his life, he started to lose his memory and his eyesight. This meant he had to retire from his work.

Family Life

Joseph Bennet married Elizabeth Cooke on April 3, 1665. Her father was a church leader in Mountfield. Joseph and Elizabeth had five children: four sons and one daughter.

When Joseph Bennet wrote his will, he mentioned three sons and one daughter who were still alive. His oldest son was also named Joseph Bennet (1665-1726). This younger Joseph Bennet became a minister for a Presbyterian church in central London starting in 1708.

Joseph Bennet, the minister this article is about, died in 1707. His wife, Elizabeth, outlived him.