Lieutenant Henry Boswell Bennett (1809–1838) of the 45th Regiment of Foot (Sherwood Foresters) became on 31 May 1838 the first officer to die in the service of

Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until Death and state funeral of Queen Victoria, her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 21 ...

when he was shot by

John Nichols Thom John Nichols Tom (sometimes spelt Thom; 1799 – 31 May 1838) was a Cornish wine-merchant and maltster who re-invented himself as Sir William Courtenay, stood for parliament in Canterbury, was convicted of perjury in a smuggling case, spent thr ...

Bossenden Wood The Battle of Bossenden Wood took place on 31 May 1838 near Hernhill in Kent; it has been called the last battle on English soil. The battle was fought between a small group of labourers from the Hernhill, Dunkirk, and Boughton area and a detac ...

in Kent. Bennett was of Irish parentage, born in 1809, the son of Major William Bennett formerly of the

69th Regiment of Foot The 69th (South Lincolnshire) Regiment of Foot was an infantry regiment of the British Army, raised in 1756. Under the Childers Reforms it amalgamated with the 41st (Welch) Regiment of Foot to form the Welch Regiment in 1881. History Formation Th ...

, and the grandson of Richard Bennett who was murdered during the

Wexford Rebellion The Wexford Rebellion refers to the outbreak in County Wexford, Ireland in May 1798 of the Society of United Irishmen's rebellion against the British rule in Ireland, British rule. It was the most successful and most destructive of all the upri ...

of 1798. An uncle, Richard Newton Bennett was chief justice of the Island of Tobago. Bennett joined his father's regiment, the 69th, as an

ensign An ensign is the national flag flown on a vessel to indicate nationality. The ensign is the largest flag, generally flown at the stern (rear) of the ship while in port. The naval ensign (also known as war ensign), used on warships, may be diffe ...

and then, in June 1827, exchanged into the 45th Foot. He spent the next ten years with the regiment in India, returning to Europe on leave in July 1837. The regiment returned from India the following March and Bennett rejoined them at

Canterbury Canterbury (, ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and UNESCO World Heritage Site, situated in the heart of the City of Canterbury local government district of Kent, England. It lies on the River Stour, Kent, River Stour. ...

barracks.JP Entract 1966 Henry Boswell Bennett: a victim of the last peasants revolt, 1838. ''Journal of the Society for Army Historical Research'' 44 no. 177, 14-18 Since January 1838 a man who went by the name of Sir William Courtenay, but was believed to be a Cornish maltster called

(or Mad Tom), and who had been released from Barming Heath Asylum some months previously, had been riding through East Kent and gaining a following amongst the labourers, smallholders, artisans and tradespeople of the area between Canterbury and Faversham. Courtenay promised his followers a better future with greater equality and fairer distribution of wealth, addressing their concerns about low wages, lack of work, and the

New Poor Law The ''Poor Law Amendment Act 1834'' (PLAA) known widely as the New Poor Law, was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom passed by the Whig government of Earl Grey. It completely replaced earlier legislation based on the ''Poor Relief ...

. Early on the morning of 31 May 1838, the constable of

Boughton-under-Blean Boughton under Blean is a village and civil parish between Faversham and Canterbury in south-east England. "Boughton under Blean" technically refers only to the hamlet at the top of Boughton Hill; the main village at the foot of the hill is named ...

was sent to arrest Courtenay at Bossenden Farm. He had enlisted the help of his brother and, when they arrived at the farm, Courtenay shot and killed the constable's brother. On hearing the news of the murder, local magistrates called out the soldiers from Canterbury barracks. A detachment of the 45th Infantry under Major Armstrong with three junior officers, including Bennett, arrived in a stage-coach and wagons and met up with the magistrates. Courtenay and his followers, who numbered between thirty and forty, were tracked down to Bossenden Wood. Except for Courtenay, who had a sword and pistols, and one of his followers who had a pistol, the band was armed only with sticks. The soldiers formed a pincer movement: Major Armstrong and Lieutenant Prendergast led the left wing, while Captain Reid and Bennett led the right. They marched down two parallel lanes leading from

Watling Street Watling Street is a historic route in England that crosses the River Thames at London and which was used in Classical Antiquity, Late Antiquity, and throughout the Middle Ages. It was used by the ancient Britons and paved as one of the main R ...

to Bossenden Wood and then Bennett and 25 men split off to the north side of the wood. It was Bennett's group that was the first to encounter Courtenay and his followers in a clearing in the wood. Bennett immediately called on Courtenay to surrender; Courtenay shot him dead. Armstrong's and Bennett's men then opened fire and charged with bayonets. Within a few minutes Courtenay was dead. Eight of his followers were killed or mortally wounded, and a constable was caught in the soldiers' fire and killed. Bennett was buried in

Canterbury Cathedral Canterbury Cathedral in Canterbury, Kent, is one of the oldest and most famous Christian structures in England. It forms part of a World Heritage Site. It is the cathedral of the Archbishop of Canterbury, currently Justin Welby, leader of the ...

precincts on Saturday 2 June with full military honours and in the presence of six thousand spectators. In view of the special circumstances the Cathedral Chapter waived the normal ban on the firing of guns in the precincts, and three volleys were fired over the grave at the end of the funeral service. Later a tablet which can still be seen was affixed to the north wall of the Cathedral nave in memory of Bennett. It bears the following inscription. In August 1838 nine of Courtenay's followers pleaded guilty at Maidstone Assizes to the murder of Bennett. They were sentenced to death, but immediately reprieved and given sentences of transportation or one year's imprisonment. When sentencing the prisoners Judge

Lord Denman Baron Denman, of Dovedale in the County of Derby, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1834 for the prominent lawyer, judge and Whig politician Thomas Denman. He served as Lord Chief Justice of the King's Bench fro ...

said Bennett's relations and friends asked that their lives be spared.''The Morning Post'', 11 August 1838

References

External links

Flickr.com photograph of the memorial plaque in Canterbury Cathedral
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bennett, Henry Boswell 1838 deaths British military personnel killed in action History of Kent Sherwood Foresters officers Deaths by firearm in England 69th Regiment of Foot officers 1809 births

See also

References

External links