Richard Benese facts for kids

Richard Benese was a churchman who lived a long time ago, in the 1500s. He was a type of priest called a canon, and he belonged to a group of priests called the Augustinians. He lived at a place called Merton Priory. He passed away in 1546.

Richard Benese's Work and Life

Richard Benese went to Oxford University and earned a special degree on July 6, 1519. This degree was in a type of law.

Later, in 1538, something big happened in England called the Dissolution of the Monasteries. King Henry VIII decided to close down many monasteries, including Merton Priory where Benese lived. Richard Benese was one of the people who signed the official papers to give Merton Priory to the King.

Before this, Richard Benese wrote a very important book. It was all about the skill and science of surveying land. Surveying means measuring and mapping out land.

Another canon from Merton, named Thomas Paynell, helped get Benese's book ready for printing. It was printed by James Nicholson in a place called Southwark. The book was probably published in 1537. The first version of his book was more complete than later ones. It even included special tables to help calculate measurements.

Later Life and Church Roles

After the priory closed, Richard Benese held several different church jobs. These jobs are called benefices or dignities. It's a bit unclear if all these jobs were held by the same Richard Benese, or if there were a few different people with the same name. However, there are some clues that suggest it might have been the same person.

Here are some of the church roles a Richard Benese held:

• He was a clerk in the Hereford area in 1514.
• He was a parson (a type of priest) in Woodborough, Wiltshire from 1511 to 1515.
• He became the precentor of Hereford on November 11, 1538, and held that job until the end of 1546. A precentor is in charge of music and singing in a church.
• He was a prebendary of Farrendon, Line., starting April 20, 1542. This is another type of church position.
• He was also the parson of Longlednam, Lincolnshire.
• He became the rector of Long Ditton, Surrey, on February 11, 1542. A rector is the main priest of a parish.
• He was the rector of All Hallows, Honey Lane starting October 11, 1540.

The church in Long Ditton was connected to Merton Priory, where Benese lived. Also, the next rector of All Hallows was Thomas Paynell. This was the same Thomas Paynell who helped publish Benese's book. These connections make it seem likely that the same Richard Benese held these jobs.

The precentor of Hereford also passed away at the end of 1546. This was around the same time as the rector of Long Ditton died. The will of the rector of Long Ditton was written on November 3, 1546. It was officially approved on October 20, 1547. This will mentioned his brother, Edward, and his sister, Elizabeth, who was married to Ric. Skynner.