Sir Arthur Edward Trevor Benson

GCMG The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is a British order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince of Wales (the future King George IV), while he was acting as prince regent for his father, King George III ...

(21 December 1907 – 1987) was a British colonial administrator and governor.

Early life

Benson was born in Johannesburg on 21 December 1907 the son of an Anglican clergyman. Educated at

Wolverhampton Grammar School Wolverhampton Grammar School is a co-educational private school in Wolverhampton, England. History Initially a grammar school for boys, WGS was founded in 1512 by Sir Stephen Jenyns, a master of the ancient guild of Merchant Taylors, who was ...

and

Exeter College, Oxford Exeter College (in full: The Rector and Scholars of Exeter College in the University of Oxford) is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England, and the fourth-oldest college of the university. The college was founde ...

he joined the colonial service in 1931.

Colonial service

Benson was sent to Northern Rhodesia as a cadet later moving on to the Secretariat in Lusaka. During the Second World War he returned to London and was attached to the Cabinet Office. After the war he returned to Northern Rhodesia and the Luwingu outstation. In 1948 he became Chief Secretary of the Central African Council and in 1951 he was promoted to Chief Secretary of Nigeria. In 1954 he was appointed

Governor of Northern Rhodesia The governor of Northern Rhodesia was the representative of the British monarch in the self-governing colony of Northern Rhodesia from 1924 to 1964. The governor was appointed by the Crown and acted as the local head of state, receiving instruc ...

until he retired in 1959.

Retirement

He became a Justice of the Peace in Devon from 1962 to 1966 and he was also elected an Honorary Fellow of Exeter College.

Family life

Benson had married Daphne Mary Joyce Fynn and they had two daughters, he died in Devon on 15 October 1987.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Benson, Arthur 1907 births 1987 deaths Governors of Northern Rhodesia Knights Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George Alumni of Exeter College, Oxford People educated at Wolverhampton Grammar School Fellows of Exeter College, Oxford People from Johannesburg People from Devon South African people of British descent South African emigrants to the United Kingdom British expatriates in Zambia