Sir Christopher John Benson (20 July 1933 – 21 January 2024) was a British chartered surveyor and company director, chairman of major companies and public bodies, and a

High Sheriff of Wiltshire This is a list of the sheriffs and (after 1 April 1974) high sheriffs of Wiltshire. Until the 14th century, the shrievalty was held ''ex officio'' by the castellans of Old Sarum Castle. On 1 April 1974, under the provisions of the Local Go ...

Early life and naval service

Benson was born in Wheaton Aston, Staffordshire in 1933, the only son of Charles Woodburn Benson and Catherine Clara Bishton. He was privately educated at the King's School Worcester, then after failing to enter Dartmouth naval college he joined

Thames Nautical Training College The Thames Nautical Training College, as it is now called, is a school that trains officers for a seagoing career. It was, for over a hundred years, situated aboard ships named HMS ''Worcester''. London shipowners, marine insurance underwriters ...

to receive training as a seagoing officer. At age 16 he entered the merchant navy and was employed by the

Union-Castle Line The Union-Castle Line was a British shipping line that operated a fleet of passenger liners and cargo ships between Europe and Africa from 1900 to 1977. It was formed from the merger of the Union Line and Castle Shipping Line. It merged with ...

. After a spell of

conscription Conscription, also known as the draft in the United States and Israel, is the practice in which the compulsory enlistment in a national service, mainly a military service, is enforced by law. Conscription dates back to antiquity and it conti ...

in the Royal Navy, he was posted to

RNAS Lossiemouth Lossiemouth () is a town in Moray, Scotland. Originally the port belonging to Elgin, it became an important fishing town. Although there has been over 1,000 years of settlement in the area, the present day town was formed over the past 250 year ...

where he played rugby for the Navy's Scotland team. He was seriously injured in a car accident at the age of 20, and invalided out of the Navy.

Business career

Benson began a career as an agricultural auctioneer and valuer, then turned to commercial property in 1965. He worked for a time for Arndale Developments, a builder of shopping centres, and qualified as a

chartered surveyor Chartered Surveyor is the description (protected by law in many countries) of Professional ''Members'' and ''Fellows'' of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) entitled to use the designation (and a number of variations such as " Char ...

. He started his own firm, Dolphin Developments, in 1969. In 1973 he sold his company and was hired as a director of property developer MEPC plc, where he became managing director in 1975 and was credited with rescuing the company from the effects of the

1973–1975 recession The 1973–1975 recession or 1970s recession was a period of economic stagnation in much of the Western world (i.e. the United States, Canada, Western Europe, Australia, and New Zealand) during the 1970s, putting an end to the overall post–W ...

. In 1988, he became a director of Sun Alliance, where he was chairman from 1993 to 1996, then chairman of the enlarged

Royal and Sun Alliance RSA Insurance Group Limited (trading as RSA, formerly RSA Insurance Group plc and Royal and Sun Alliance) is a British multinational general insurance company headquartered in London, England. RSA has major operations in the United Kingdom, Irel ...

until 1998. In 1997, he was appointed by the government to chair its Funding Agency for Schools. Benson was also chairman of

Costain Group Costain Group plc is a British construction and engineering company headquartered in London, England. It was established by Richard Costain and Richard Kneen in 1865, initially operating as builders in and around Lancashire. During the early 2 ...

Boots A boot is a type of footwear. Most boots mainly cover the foot and the ankle, while some also cover some part of the lower calf. Some boots extend up the leg, sometimes as far as the knee or even the hip. Most boots have a heel that is clearl ...

(1990–1994) and

Albright and Wilson Albright may refer to: *Albright (surname) *Albright, Alberta, Canada *Albright, West Virginia, United States *Albright College, a liberal arts college located in Reading, Pennsylvania, United States *Albright–Knox Art Gallery, Buffalo, New York, ...

. In 1984 he was appointed to chair the

London Docklands Development Corporation The London Docklands Development Corporation (LDDC) was a quango agency set up by the UK Government in 1981 to regenerate the depressed Docklands area of east London. During its seventeen-year existence, it was responsible for regenerating an ...

where he was involved in the development of the

Canary Wharf Canary Wharf is a financial area of London, England, located in the Isle of Dogs in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. The Greater London Authority defines it as part of London's central business district, alongside Central London. Alongside ...

business district.

Charitable works

Outside business, Benson was a vice-president of the

Royal Society of Arts The Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce, commonly known as the Royal Society of Arts (RSA), is a learned society that champions innovation and progress across a multitude of sectors by fostering creativity, s ...

, Master of the

Company of Watermen and Lightermen The Company of Watermen and Lightermen (CWL) is a historic City guild in the City of London. However, unlike the city's 111 livery companies, CWL does not have a grant of livery. Its meeting rooms are at Waterman's Hall on St Mary at Hill, Londo ...

and President of the Coram Foundation. He was an honorary

bencher A bencher or Master of the Bench is a senior member of an Inn of Court in England and Wales or the Inns of Court in Northern Ireland, or the Honorable Society of King's Inns in Ireland. Benchers hold office for life once elected. A bencher c ...

of the

Middle Temple The Honourable Society of the Middle Temple, commonly known simply as Middle Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court entitled to Call to the bar, call their members to the English Bar as barristers, the others being the Inner Temple (with whi ...

, serving on its Scholarship Fund Appeal Committee. He served as chair of the Civic Trust, a charity which championed high-quality architecture. On his death he had been chairman of the

National Deaf Children's Society The National Deaf Children's Society (NDCS) is a British charity dedicated to providing support, information and advice for deaf children and young people, their families and professionals working with them. The Society campaigns for improvement ...

for over 30 years.

Personal life

In 1960, in

Salisbury Salisbury ( , ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and civil parish in Wiltshire, England with a population of 41,820, at the confluence of the rivers River Avon, Hampshire, Avon, River Nadder, Nadder and River Bourne, Wi ...

, Benson married Margaret Josephine Bundy, a daughter of Ernest Jefferis Bundy. They had two sons. A justice of the peace, mayor of Salisbury (1969–1970), and a deputy lieutenant of Wiltshire from 1997, Jo Benson was awarded the

OBE The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...

in 1973. The couple made significant donations to

Salisbury District Hospital Salisbury District Hospital is a large hospital on Odstock Road, Britford, Wiltshire, England, about south of the centre of the city of Salisbury. It is managed by the Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust. History The first Odstock Hospital was co ...

. She died on 1 August 2022. Sir Christopher Benson died from

pulmonary fibrosis Pulmonary fibrosis is a condition in which the lungs become scarred over time. Symptoms include shortness of breath, a dry cough, feeling tired, weight loss, and nail clubbing. Complications may include pulmonary hypertension, respiratory ...

at home in Salisbury, on 21 January 2024, at the age of 90. His funeral service was held at

Salisbury Cathedral Salisbury Cathedral, formally the Cathedral Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary, is an Church of England, Anglican cathedral in the city of Salisbury, England. The cathedral is regarded as one of the leading examples of Early English architecture, ...

on 22 February 2024.

Honours and awards

Benson was

knighted A knight is a person granted an honorary title of a knighthood by a head of state (including the pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the church, or the country, especially in a military capacity. The concept of a knighthood ...

in the

1988 New Year Honours The New Year Honours 1988 were appointments by most of the Commonwealth realms of Queen Elizabeth II to various orders and honours to reward and highlight good works by citizens of those countries, and honorary ones to citizens of other countries ...

for public services. ”Benson, Sir Christopher (John)” in ''

Who's Who A Who's Who (or Who Is Who) is a reference work consisting of biographical entries of notable people in a particular field. The oldest and best-known is the annual publication ''Who's Who (UK), Who's Who'', a reference work on contemporary promin ...

'' online, accessed 28 April 2020 He served as a magistrate for over 20 years and was

for 2002. In 2005 he was commissioned a Deputy lieutenant of Greater London. He was awarded an honorary

Medal of the Order of Australia The Order of Australia is an Australian honour that recognises Australian citizens and other persons for outstanding achievement and service. It was established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, on the advice of then ...

in January 2020 for service to the bilateral relationship between Australia and the United Kingdom.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Benson, Christopher 1933 births 2024 deaths Chartered Surveyors Deputy lieutenants of Wiltshire High sheriffs of Wiltshire Honorary recipients of the Medal of the Order of Australia Deputy lieutenants of Greater London Knights Bachelor Fellows of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors