Ion Hamilton Benn

Captain Sir Ion Hamilton Benn, 1st Baronet CB DSO (31 March 1863–12 August 1961) was a British politician and businessman. He was Conservative Member of Parliament for Greenwich from 1910 to 1922.

Benn was born in County Cork, Ireland. His father was Church of Ireland rector of Carrigaline and Douglas. He was educated at Merchant Taylors' School and then joined Price & Pierce Ltd, a leading timber firm. He later became a director and then chairman.

In the 1890s, he was elected to Greenwich Borough Council and served as mayor from 1901 to 1902. He was a founder member of the Metropolitan Water Board in 1903. He was a member of London County Council from 1907 to 1910, when he was elected to Parliament. In Parliament, he was implacably opposed to Irish Home Rule. He resigned his seat in 1922. He was created a baronet in the 1920 Birthday Honours for his political services.

A long-time member of the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve, he saw active service in the First World War, commanding a flotilla of raiders along the Belgian coast. He took part in the Zeebrugge Raid and the Ostend Raid. He rose to the rank of Captain, was Mentioned in Despatches three times, received the Distinguished Service Order (DSO) in 1917, and was appointed Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB) in 1918. He also received the French "Croix de Guerre" in 1918. For many years, he was chairman of the seamen's Dreadnought Hospital in Greenwich, and became its president in 1949.

He served on the Thames Conservancy Board from 1937 to 1946, and was a director of the Port of London Authority from its foundation in 1909 until February 1961, when he was 97. He remained active in business in the City of London until his death at the age of 98.

References

*Obituary, "The Times", 14 August 1961