Richard Bennett (Governor)

Richard Bennett (August 6, 1609 - April 12, 1675) was a British Colonial Governor of Virginia.

Born in Wiveliscombe, Somerset, Bennett served as governor from April 30, 1652, until March 2, 1655. [cite book |last=Lossing |first=Benson John |authorlink=Benson John Lossing |title=Harper's Encyclopædia of United States History from 458 A.D. to 1902 |publisher=Harper & Brothers |date=1901 |pages=544 |isbn=] cite book |last=Tyler |first=Lyon Gardiner |authorlink=Lyon Gardiner Tyler |title=Encyclopedia of Virginia Biography |publisher=Lewis Historical Publishing Company |date=1915 |pages=47 |isbn=] His uncle, Edward Bennett, was a wealthy merchant from London and also a member of the Virginia Company. Bennett traveled to the colony as a representative of his uncle's business interests, and quickly rose to prominence, serving in the House of Burgesses in 1629 and 1631.cite book |last=Warfield |first=Joshua Dorsey |authorlink= |title=The Founders of Anne Arundel and Howard Counties, Maryland: A Genealogical and Biographical Review from wills, deeds and church records |publisher=Kohn & Pollock |date=1905 |pages=41 |isbn=] On November 30, 1657, Bennett signed the treaty with Cecilius Calvert, 2nd Baron Baltimore, which recognized the latter's claim to Maryland. While little is known about his time as governor, it is believed that he was popular with the colonists.

Bennett was an ancestor of Henry Lee III, Robert E. Lee and John Randolph of Roanoke. [cite book |last=Boddie |first=John Bennett |authorlink= |title=Seventeenth Century Isle of Wight County, Virginia |publisher=Genealogical Publishing Company |date=1973 |pages=79-80 |isbn=0806305592]

ee also

*Colony of Virginia
*Governor's Palace
*List of colonial governors of Virginia
*History of Virginia

References