Ella May Bennett (1855–1932) was an American Universalist minister. In 1890, she was the first woman to be ordained to the ministry on

Long Island Long Island is a densely populated continental island in southeastern New York (state), New York state, extending into the Atlantic Ocean. It constitutes a significant share of the New York metropolitan area in both population and land are ...

. Four years later, after exhibiting erratic behavior, she was declared insane and removed to the

Hudson River The Hudson River, historically the North River, is a river that flows from north to south largely through eastern New York (state), New York state. It originates in the Adirondack Mountains at Henderson Lake (New York), Henderson Lake in the ...

Insane Asylum at

Poughkeepsie, New York Poughkeepsie ( ) is a city within the Poughkeepsie (town), New York, Town of Poughkeepsie, New York (state), New York. It is the county seat of Dutchess County, New York, Dutchess County, with a 2020 census population of 31,577. Poughkeepsie i ...

Early life

. Her mother's maiden name was Harriet Atwood Terry (1821–1902) and her father's name was Daniel Shaler Hawkins (1798–1868). Bennett had thirteen siblings: nine half-siblings from her father's first marriage, and four from her parent's marriage. She was the twelfth of the fourteen children, of whom all but two grew up to adulthood. Senators

Edward Hawkins Edward Hawkins (27 February 1789 – 18 November 1882) was an English churchman and academic, a long-serving Provost of Oriel College, Oxford known as a committed opponent of the Oxford Movement from its beginnings in his college. Life He was bo ...

and Simeon S. Hawkins were half-brothers. Two of Bennett's uncles, John Terry, a

Methodist Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a Protestant Christianity, Christian Christian tradition, tradition whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's brother ...

, and Wilson Terry, a Baptist, were ministers. When a very small child, Bennett thought deeply upon religious matters. She would often ask her mother to go and pray, especially when her mother seemed troubled in any way. From the very first, God seemed to her a friend and comforter. When the doctrines of the church which she had attended were explained to her, she rejected them. When about 13 years of age, she visited a cousin in northern

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a U.S. state, state spanning the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern United States, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes region, Great Lakes regions o ...

, and for the first time listened to a sermon by a Universalist minister. She recognized her early ideas of God and heaven. On her return home, she was told the

Bible The Bible is a collection of religious texts that are central to Christianity and Judaism, and esteemed in other Abrahamic religions such as Islam. The Bible is an anthology (a compilation of texts of a variety of forms) originally writt ...

gave no authority for such a doctrine. She accepted that statement, gave up all interest in religious matters, would not open the Bible, and tried to become an atheist. For years, she lived with mental health issues that at times threatened her power of reasoning.

Career

When about 30 years of age, Bennett's mother, who had long been deeply concerned about her daughter's mental state, presented her a Bible, begging her to read it. Bennett reluctantly promised. She had only read a few pages when, to her surprise, she found authority for the Universalist faith. The Bible became her constant companion, and for months, she read nothing else. Bennett became anxious for others to know the faith which had improved her own life. At the request of Edward Oaks, she consented a to read sermons during afternoons in Stony Brook's Union Hall. The sermon reading gradually changed to original essays, and finally, Bennett found herself conducting regular and popular sermons. Rev. Lewis Beals Fisher, of

Bridgeport, Connecticut Bridgeport is the List of municipalities in Connecticut, most populous city in the U.S. state of Connecticut and the List of cities in New England by population, fifth-most populous city in New England, with a population of 148,654 in 2020. Loc ...

, became interested in Bennett's work, and Bennett united with his church in May 1889. After preaching for some time in Union Hall, she developed such talent for the ministry that many of her friends advised her to apply for a license to preach. Although her mother and brothers tried to persuade her against it, she decided to pursue this. Fisher presented Bennett a library of books and assisted in procuring for her the license to preach. On September 25, 1890, she was ordained in Stony Brook. There was unusual interest in the event as Bennett was the first woman to be ordained to the ministry on Long Island. At the time, Bennett said that she did not expect to take any regular charge for the present, but would devote her time to Christian work at Stony Brook, Setauket, and

Port Jefferson Port Jefferson, also known as Port Jeff, is an Administrative divisions of New York (state)#Village, incorporated village in the Administrative divisions of New York (state)#Town, town of Brookhaven, New York, Brookhaven in Suffolk County, New Y ...

. Bennett entered the ministry with the determination never to accept a good position and stated salary, but to labor where the faith was new and for the free-will offering of the people. Although tempted by large salaries, she never wavered in that determination. In 1891, she made an extended visit in Pennsylvania where she attended the Universalist convention of Pennsylvania. Bennett published verses at the age of 11 years, and she spent a portion of her life in literary work.

Personal life

In 1875, she married William Bennett, a sea captain, and they had three children. In September 1894, she appeared on the streets singing and shouting. The following day, she ran away from her watchers and darted down the street. She ran into a large tree, and was felled by the blow and became unconscious. Within days, she raved all night, and begged her attendants to tie her down so that she would not harm anyone. She became violent some time afterward, and knocked down her mother and her child by blows from her fist. She told them that they had been ordered to die. During a storm early in the evening, she ran from the house, clad only in her robe and barefooted, and rushed down Main street in the pouring rain. Friends met her and tried to induce her to return, but she refused, and did not even recognize them. She wandered about for an hour. Dr. Bates said that he thought she was beyond mental recovery and would have to be placed in an asylum. Initially, Mr. Bennett did not want to commit to this. He hoped that the trouble was only temporary, believing if his wife could get some rest, her mind would return to its normal state. On September 17, 1894, considered to be hopelessly insane, Bennett was removed to the Hudson River Insane Asylum (renamed

Hudson River State Hospital The Hudson River State Hospital is a former New York state psychiatric hospital which operated from 1873 until its closure in the early 2000s. The campus is notable for its main building, known as a "Kirkbride," which has been designated a Nation ...

) at Poughkeepsie, New York; her husband and brothers accompanied her.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Bennett, Ella May 1855 births 1932 deaths People from Stony Brook, New York American Christian universalists American people with disabilities 19th-century American Christian clergy People detained in psychiatric hospitals Wikipedia articles incorporating text from A Woman of the Century