Henry Benson (c.1578 – 1643) of Knaresborough, Yorkshire was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons variously between 1626 and 1641.[1]

He was born the son of Peter Benson, a Knaresborough yeoman farmer.

Benson was Deputy Steward of Knaresborough.[2] In 1626 he was elected Member of Parliament for Knaresborough. He was re-elected in 1628 and sat until 1629 when King Charles decided to rule without parliament for eleven years.[3]

In April 1640, Benson was re-elected MP for Knareborough in the Short Parliament. He was re-elected in November 1640 for the Long Parliament.[3] However he was expelled from the House of Commons by vote on 2 November 1641 for selling protections to men who were not his servants.[4] Benson declared that there was no better replacement for him than his son-in-law William Deerlove, although Deerlove's election was declared void.[5]

Benson took arms for the King and in February 1642 was reported to be occupying Plumpton tower near Knaresborough with two cannon.[6]

Benson married Elizabeth Deerlove, widow of John Deerlove, at Knaresborough in 1633.[7] They had no children.

References

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  1. ^ "BENSON, Henry (1578/9-1643), of High Street, Knaresborough, Yorks". History of Parliament Trust. Retrieved 23 April 2019.
  2. ^ Sir Henry Slingsby
  3. ^ a b Willis, Browne (1750). Notitia Parliamentaria, Part II: A Series or Lists of the Representatives in the several Parliaments held from the Reformation 1541, to the Restoration 1660 ... London. pp. 229–239.
  4. ^ The parliamentary or constitutional history of England Volume 9
  5. ^ Robert Beatson A chronological register of both houses of the British Parliament
  6. ^ The Fairfax Correspondence
  7. ^ Dearlove name
Parliament of England
Preceded by Member of Parliament for Knaresborough
1626–1629
With: Sir Richard Hutton, the younger 1
Parliament suspended until 1640
Vacant Member of Parliament for Knaresborough
1640–1641
With: Sir Henry Slingsby, 1st Baronet
Succeeded by