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Bennett of Isle of Wight and Nansemond Counties

Governor Richard Bennett was born in the Parish of Wivelscombe, Somerset, and was proven to be a nephew of Edward Bennett. Therefore, he was a son of one of Edward's five brothers. He was married to Mary Anne Utie, a daughter or widow of Colonel John Ute, a member of the Virginia Council.

Governor Richard Bennett, while in England negotiating with Lord Baltimore in 1657 made the following affidavit in the Admiralty Court in the case of Ewers vs. Watts, 12 February 1657:

I, Richard Bennett, an inhabitant of Virginia but at present living in London, born at Wilscombe in the county of Somerset, aged 49 years or thereabouts, a witness sworn and examined saith and deposeth as followeth, vizt: to the 12th article he saith that he this deponent hath been an inhabitant in Virginia for these eight or nine and twenty years last past and exercised the trade of merchandizing there for tobacco and other commodities and thereby knoweth well that such as have tobacco to send for England, etc. To the 13th article of the said allegation he saith he well knoweth being in Virginia and seeing them there and being then Governor of Virginia and thereby the person to whom all masters of ships did repayre upon their first arrival.

The arms of Governor Richard Bennett and the Earl of Arlington were the same as the Bennetts of North Bavant, Wiltshire, whose pedigree traces back to King Henry III.

Gules, three demi lions rampant, argent

Issue of Governor Bennett:

• Richard Bennett, married Henrietta Maria Neale, a daughter of James Neale of Maryland. Richard was drowned at sea in 1676. He had one son, Richard Bennett (1663-1749).
• Anne Bennett was first married to Theodrick Bland and second to Colonel St. Leger Codd.
• Elizabeth Bennett married Colonel Charles Scarborough of Accomack County, Virginia.

Lineage from Robert Bennett, tanner, of Wyvelscombe, Somerset

Robert Bennett, tanner, made his Last and Testament on 28 Aug 1603 in Wivelscombe, England, buried beside his wife. He was married to Elizabeth Ednye in this parish on 10 Jul 1558. Elizabeth was buried at Wivelscombe on 28 June 1597. Issue:

• Margery Bennett, chr. 25 Mar 1560 at Wivelscombe.
• John Bennett, chr. 22 April 1561, buried 29 May 1561 at Wivelscomb.
• Elizabeth Bennett, chr. 31 May 1562; unmarried at the time of her father's death (1603).
• Agnes Bennett, chr. 1 Aug 1563.
• Dorothy Bennett, Chr. 29 Aug 1564.
• John Bennett, chr. 25 Mar 1566, buried 17 Oct 1601 at Wivelscomb.
• Johan Bennett, chr. 1 Mar 1566/7, buried 8 July 1568 at Wivelscomb.
• Eleanor Bennett, chr. 5 Mar 1567/8.
• Thomas Bennett, chr. 2 April 1570; buried 26 Sept 1616. Issue:
  1. Robert Bennett, chr. 1 Feb 1601/1602 at Wivelscomb.
  2. Thomas Bennett, chr. 8 Nov 1603, buried 23 Dec 1608.
  3. Elizabeth Bennett, chr. 4 Aug 1605, buried 25 Dec 1605.
  4. William Bennett, chr. 21 Mar 1606/1607.
  5. Richard Bennett, chr. 6 Aug 1609, probably the Governor of Virginia (above).
  6. Phillip Bennett, chr. 22 May 1611. He patented 515 acres of land in Nansemond County in 1643 on the east side of Bennetts Creek near the land of Richard Bennett; another patent of 1230 acres as the administrator of Robert Bennett (1648).
  7. Johanne Bennett, chr. 7 Jul 1614, buried 21 Aug 1616.
• Robert Bennett, chr. 27 April 1571, died in Virginia in 1623.
• William Bennett, chr. 15 June 1572, married Alice Storye on 14 Nov 1603. He was a clothier in Wivelscombe. Issue:
  1. Johanne Bennett, chr. 25 April 1604, buried 2 Feb 1622-1623 at Wivelscombe.
  2. Agnes Bennett, chr. 23 Nov 1606.
  3. Mary Bennett, chr. 25 June 1609.
  4. Robert Bennett, chr. 29 Dec 1611; he probably came to Virginia at the age of eighteen years.
  5. Dorothy Bennett, chr. 15 April 1615.
  6. Edward Bennett, chr. 27 Jan 1617/1618.
• Richard Bennett, chr. 9 Oct 1573, died in Virginia on 28 Aug 1626. Issue:
  1. Elizabeth Bennett, chr. 2 Aug 1610, buried 13 Oct 1615 at Wivelscomb Parish.
  2. Abagail Bennett, chr. 15 Nov 1612.
  3. Ann Bennett, buried 20 April 1613.
  4. Richard Bennett, chr. 16 June 1616, buried 24 Sept 1618.
  5. Edward Bennett, chr. 24 June 1618, buried 14 Nov 1619.
• Johan Bennett, chr. 18 January 1574/1575, buried 12 January 1574/1575.
• Christopher Bennett, chr. 6 May 1576.
• Edward Bennett, chr. 2 Feb 1577/1588. He was married to Mary, a daughter of Jasper Bourne of Stanmore Magna, Middlesex.

St. Andrews, Wivelscombe Parish from an old post card.

Sources: Virginia Magazine 23, pp. 393; Seventeenth Century Isle of Wight; Wivelscombe Parish Register, Somerset, England; Last Will and Testament of Robert Bennett, Wyvelscombe, Somerset dated 28 Aug 1603 recorded in the court for the Peculiar of Wivelscombe; Wyvelscombe Parish Register; The administration of Richard Benet of St. Bart. Exchange, London, but deceased in Virginia, granted to his brother, Edward Bennett, relict Judith renouncing, the 8th June 1627 (P.C.C. 1620-1630 by Morrison); Last Will and Testament of Robert Bennett dated 1674