John Benbow (1768–24 February 1855) was a Conservative politician who represented

Dudley Dudley ( , ) is a market town in the West Midlands, England, southeast of Wolverhampton and northwest of Birmingham. Historically part of Worcestershire, the town is the administrative centre of the Metropolitan Borough of Dudley. In the ...

in the UK Parliament in the nineteenth century. He won his seat in 1844 and served until his death in 1855.

Biography

John Benbow was born in 1768. In 1805 it was recorded that he was a solicitor practising at

Lincoln's Inn The Honourable Society of Lincoln's Inn, commonly known as Lincoln's Inn, is one of the four Inns of Court (professional associations for Barrister, barristers and judges) in London. To be called to the bar in order to practise as a barrister ...

, London. He married Elizabeth, the daughter of Charles Bradley and together they had two sons and three daughters. Elizabeth died in 1825. In 1833, Benbow was appointed as joint executor and trustee of the estates of the late John Ward, 1st Earl of Dudley. The estates included

Himley Hall Himley Hall is an early 17th-century country house situated in Staffordshire, England. It is situated in the South Staffordshire, south of the county in the small village of Himley, near to the town of Dudley and the city of Wolverhampton. Himl ...

and the ruins of

Dudley Castle Dudley Castle is a ruins, ruined castle, fortification in the town of Dudley, West Midlands (county), West Midlands, England. Originally, a wooden motte and bailey castle built soon after the Norman Conquest, it was rebuilt as a stone fortifica ...

as well as land and industries in the Dudley area. In 1837, he stood unsuccessfully as member of parliament for

Wolverhampton Wolverhampton ( ) is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands (county), West Midlands of England. Located around 12 miles (20 km) north of Birmingham, it forms the northwestern part of the West Midlands conurbation, with the towns of ...

. Subsequently, when the sitting MP for

, Thomas Hawkes resigned his seat in 1844, John Benbow, then a solicitor with the London firm, Messrs Benbow and Tucker, stood and won the election as a

Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civiliza ...

candidate. The defeated candidate was the anti-corn law candidate, William Rawson. When Lord Ward came into his inheritance in 1845, Benbow was appointed sole manager and auditor. Benbow was subsequently re-elected in 1847 (unopposed) and 1852. According to local chronicler C.F.G Clarke: ''Mr. Benbow was a decided Tory in politics, and a churchman in religion; his school of thought was narrow and contracted, and he looked upon all reforms and progressions with alarm and distrust.'' The same author wrote: ''he secured and maintained his seat as M.P. for Dudley entirely on the sufferance of the Castle power and influence''. According to Hansard, he never spoke in Parliament during the time he was MP for Dudley. John Benbow died on 24 February 1855, at

Hastings Hastings ( ) is a seaside town and Borough status in the United Kingdom, borough in East Sussex on the south coast of England, east of Lewes and south east of London. The town gives its name to the Battle of Hastings, which took place to th ...

, whilst still MP for Dudley, triggering a by-election that was won by Sir Stafford Northcote.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Benbow, John 1768 births 1855 deaths Conservative Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies UK MPs 1841–1847 UK MPs 1847–1852 UK MPs 1852–1857