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BENSON FAMILIES
ALDRIDGE FAMILY OF BENSON
Trade directories of 1911 and 1924 record the many businesses of this family, who were "carpenters, cabinet makers, painters, wheelwrights, furniture removers, motor proprietors, drapers and boot and shoe makers."
Click here to read about the Aldridge family
ARTHUR FAMILY OF BENSON
Charles Arthur lived in Benson from 1816 until 1833, when he retired and handed over his coachmaking business to his eldest son, Benjamin. The business moved to premises opposite the Old Red Lion in the High Street, where it continued until 1842, when Benjamin moved to High Street, Wallingford. Three of Benjamin's brothers, including Frederick Arthur, exported their coachbuilding and coachpainting skills to Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
Click here to read about the Arthur family
Frederick Arthur
COSTAR FAMILY OF BENSON
There were many branches of the Costar (formerly Costard) family established in Benson in the sixteenth to eighteenth centuries, but one particular branch produced some notable businessmen. All of these were descended from Richard Costar, a wheelwright.
Click here for more details about the Costar family, who kept the Crown Inn for several generations.
DINES FAMILY OF BENSON
"Mr W H Dines, who lived at the Old Observatory, Brook Street, Benson, from 1914 until his death in 1927, was a distinguished meteorologist"....................
Read more details here about three members of the Dines family
Read about the unveiling of a Blue Plaque honouring W.H. Dines
Read a Times article about Benson weather
Observatory Close was built on
the site formerly occupied by Observatory House.
LANE FAMILY OF BENSON
Members of the Lane family have lived in Benson since the mid 1700's and several lived and worked in Birmingham Yard. In 1902, they formed the village Fire Brigade. David Lane writes, "During our searches we have unearthed the usual selection of skeletons, illegitimate births, unmarried couples and family feuds but no murders. However the Lane families of Benson appear to conform to the old traditions, they were generally good, law-abiding, citizens............"
Click here for more details about the Lane family
Click here to read David Lane's memories of Benson
Joe and Elizabeth Lane
LITTLEBOY FAMILY OF PRESTON CROWMARSH
The Littleboy family were one of the influential Benson families of the 19th Century, residing mostly in Preston Crowmarsh where they ran the Corn Mill for many years.
In 1884, Isabelle Littleboy was married in Benson to John Henry Derby in what was probably the wedding of the year - a daughter of a well to do local family marrying into a mega rich society family amid a media frenzy..........
Click here to read more
An old photo of Preston Crowmarsh mill
NEWTON FAMILY OF CROWMARSH BATTLE FARM
Dr. Anne Millar writes, "Thomas Newton’s house was raided at 2 a.m. by a mob who demanded that he listen to their grievances."
Click here to read the story of the Newton family.
MANLEY FAMILY OF BENSON AND PRESTON CROWMARSH
One of the the more important residents of Benson in the post war period was R.O.B. Manley, Britain’s first commercial beekeeper, who ran the Chiltern Honey Farms in Preston Crowmarsh, his significance being as the author of three seminal books about apiculture which remain relevant to this day; Robert’s observations on honeybee disease and treatment having been revived recently in the fight against varroa and other modern bee diseases that threaten the very survival of that species.
John Manley joined Chiltern Honey Farms in the early 50’s and together he and Robert developed Manley Pure Foods Ltd, in its heyday a massive private label honey packing company and a significant local employer, all in barns and sheds built in the back garden.
MOFFATT FAMILY OF BENSON LOCK
Henry Victor Moffatt's’s father, Henry James Moffatt was born in Bromley in 1880, the son of Henry George Moffatt, who worked as a river policeman on the Thames. Henry James married Alice in Teddington in 1905. Soon after the wedding, Henry James became the lock keeper at Benson. The Moffatt family looked after the lock until 1926.
Click here to read the memories of Henry Victor Moffatt
MUNDAY FAMILY OF BENSON
Henry Munday and his son were saddlers and harness makers at No. 1 Brook Street........
Click here to read about this family
Click here to read about No. 1 Brook Street
PETHER AND HEWETT FAMILIES OF BENSON
Thomas Pether lived in a house called Fairlight, which used to be between the White Hart Hotel and Castle Farmhouse...........
Click here to read the memories of Alan Hewett about village life in the 1920s and 1930s
PETTIT FAMILY OF WALLINGFORD AND BENSON
William and Thomas Pettit founded their Wallingford store in 1856. William married three times and lived in Benson with his family from about 1871 until his death in 1915.
Click here to read about William's connection with Benson.
POWELL FAMILY OF BENSON
(including Coles and Corsellis families.)
"Imagine my continued surprise on walking into the church and finding that the east window was dedicated to the memory of one Thomas Powell and to his other relatives in the churchyard and carried a date of some ninety years ago". ...........
Click here for more details about the Powell family of Benson, who lived in Kingsford House.
Click here to read about the house
ROWDEN FAMILY OF THE LIMES, OXFORD ROAD
Mary Rowden writes, "I used to spend nights up in the Church tower at Benson, as a Local Defence Volunteer looking out for enemy parachutists, having hot chocolate drinks up there from a thermos, and jumping out of my skin every time the clock struck the hour."
Click here to read the story of the Rowden family, and their close friends, the Chamberlain family of Crowmarsh Battle Farm
STACEY FAMILY OF THE SUN INN
The photographs were taken outside the Sun when Phyllis Stacey married William Lane in 1935.
Click here to read more about the Stacey family.
WHICHELLO FAMILY OF BENSON
The Whichellos arrived in Benson in the early 1800's, as butchers in Crown Lane and then for nearly 50 years as publicans in the Lamb & Flag in Brook St. Click here to read more.
WHITEMAN FAMILY OF BENSON LOCK
Henry Whiteman, the son of the lock keeper, rescued the entire crew of the Magdalen College rowing eight, when their boat was wrecked at Benson in 1886. He was presented with an award for gallantry.
Click here to read the full story.
If you would like to contribute a family history, please contact us,
using the email address at the foot of the page.
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