Bennett, Edward James

BENNETT, Edward James (1829–1920) was born at Genoa, Liguria, Italy, third son of Rev. Henry Bennett, Bachelor of Civil Law, Trinity College, Cambridge, and Emily Moberly. Early in his career, Henry Bennett served as a British chaplain, in Europe including St Petersburg, Russia where he married Emily Moberly, and in Dresden, Sachsen, and Naples, Italy where some of his children were born, before he settled in Somerset where Edward was raised. After Edward was educated at Winchester College and the Royal College of Engineering, London, he migrated in 1850 to South Australia where he was employed by Burra Burra Copper Works. He subsequently joined the NSW Surveyor-General’s Department in July 1853 as a draftsman before moving to Queensland where he became chief draftsman in the Surveyor-General’s office in January 1960, retaining that position until he retired in 1889. In 1912, he was an unsuccessful entrant in the Federal Capital (Canberra) competition. He died at Brisbane, predeceased by his second son, HG BENNETT (1859–1916) also a draftsman in the Survey Office. Edward’s younger brother, George (1832–1913) also born in Naples and a public servant with a comparable responsibility, in England, in the Office of Woods, overseeing the management of Crown lands.

Employment

1850-

Copper works, Burra, SA

1853

Draftsman, Surveyor-Genera, NSW

1860-

Chief Draftsman, Surveyor-General, Qld.

1889

Retirement

Competition:

1912

Entrant, Federal Capital (Canberra)

Education

1835-

Winchester College (head-master, Dr Moberly, his uncle, later Bishop of Salisbury)

1847-

Royal College of Engineering, London

Migration and Travel

1850

South Australia

NSW

Genealogy

[F] Henry Bennett (1795–1874) b. 30.10.1795, Middlesex, Eng; d. 1.9.1874, Dorset, Eng.

[M] Emily Moberly (1800–1882) b. 25.8.1800, Saint Petersburg, Russia; d.12.9.1882, Sparkford, Somerset, Eng.

[15C/B1-7) Henry Edward Bennett (1822–1897) b. 10 Sep 1822, Sidmouth, Devon, Eng; d. 22 May 1897, Sparkford, Somerset, Eng [barrister, JP and land owner]
[15C/G1-8] Emily Sarah Bennett (1823–1897) b. 22 Dec 1823, Sparkford, Somerset, Eng; d. 28 Feb 1897, Dorset, Eng [married a corn merchant]
[15C/G2-8] Julia Ann Bennett (1825–1901) b. 4 June 1825, Somerset, Eng; d. 1901, London, Eng. [at home]
[15C/G3-8] Helen Frances Bennett (1826–1905) b. 13 July 1826, Saint Petersburg, Russia; d. 15 May 1905, Whatley, Somerset, Eng. [married a rector]
[15C/B2-7] William Henry Bennett (1827–1914) b. 1.11.1827, Dresden, Sachsen, Germany; d. Apr 1914, Kingston, Surrey, England (solicitor)
[15C/B3-7]Edward James BENNETT(1829–1920) b. 13.3.1829, Genoa, Liguria, Italy; d. 15.8.1920, Brisbane, Qld.
[S, 1851, Echunga, SA) Anne Gooding (1824–1896)
[9C/5G]
[9C/1-4B] Edward Moberly Bennett (1855–1882) b. 24 Oct 1855, Sydney, NSW; d, 4 Dec 1882, At Sea [TB] solicitor
[9C/2-4B] Henry Gooding Bennett (1859–1916) b. 13 Mar 1859; d. 7 Jan 1916, Qld. [draftsman in Survey Office]
[9C/3-4B]
[15C/G4-8] Mary Isabel Bennett (1831–1864) b. 9.2.1831, Napoli, Campania, Italy; d. 11.1.1864, Winchester, Hampshire, Eng [married a rector]
[15C/B4-7] George Bennett (1832–1913) b.2.8.1832, Napoli, Campania, Italy; d.11.3.1913, Christchurch, Hampshire, Eng [Senior Clerk, Office of Woods, 1881]
[15C/B5-7] Arthur James Bennett (1833–1890) b. 27.10.1833, South Cadbury, Somerset, Eng; d. 5.12.1890, South Cadbury, Somerset, Eng [Rector]
[15C/G5-8] Elizabeth Mary Bennett (1836–1922) b. 11 Sep 1836, South Cadbury, Somerset, Eng; d. Apr 1922, Wells, Somerset, Eng [married the Principal of a Theological College]
[15C/6-8G] Susan Fanny Bennett (1838–1873) b. 26 Feb 1838, South Cadbury, Somerset, Eng; d. 19 June 1873, Stirling, Stirlingshire, Scotland [married a widower, ‘a Scottish gentleman’ a stockbroker]
[15C/7-8G] Agnes Emily Bennett (1841–1899) b. 25 Aug 1841, South Cadbury, Somerset, Eng; d. 29 Sep 1899, Alassio, Savona, Liguria, Italy [died unmarried living in Italy]

References

Gibbney & Smith (1987) 50-51; NAA ID 55849, 24; Brisbane Courier, 17 Aug 1920, 9; Week, 20 Aug 1920, 22.