William Cox Bennett (1820 – 1895) was an English poet. He published numerous works, often including a self-written preface. One of his better-known poems is that of "Baby May".
Life
He was born at
Greenwich
Greenwich ( , ,) is a town in south-east London, England, within the ceremonial county of Greater London. It is situated east-southeast of Charing Cross.
Greenwich is notable for its maritime history and for giving its name to the Greenwich ...
on 14 October 1820, was the younger son of John Bennett, a watchmaker of that place. His older brother was
John Bennett (watchmaker), later Sir John.
He was educated at Greenwich in the school of William Collier Smithers, but when he was nine he was compelled, by the death of his father, to remain at home to assist his mother in business.
Bennett took much interest in the affairs of his native borough, and succeeded in effecting several useful reforms.
In 1845, he married Emma Sophia Willson, sister of his brother John's wife Agnes Willson. The couple had several children.
In 1868, he proposed
Gladstone to the liberals of the borough as their candidate, and assisted to secure his return by very strenuous exertions.
He was a member of the London council of the
National Education League.
In 1869 and 1870, he was employed on the staff of the ''Weekly Dispatch'' as a leader writer and art critic, and subsequently he contributed to the London ''Figaro.''
He died on 4 March 1895 at his residence at Eliot Cottages,
Blackheath, and was buried at Nunhead cemetery on 8 March.
Works
Bennett was well known as a writer of songs. His chief works are:
* ''Poems,'' London, 1850, 8vo ; new edit. 1862.
* ''War Songs,'' London, 1855, 8vo.
* ''Queen Eleanor's Vengeance and other Poems,'' London, 1867, 8vo.
* ''Songs for Sailors,'' London, 1872, 8vo ; 2nd edit. 1873.
* ''Baby May: Home Poems and Ballads,'' London, 1875, 8vo.
* ''Songs of a Song Writer,'' London, 1876, 8vo.
* ''Prometheus the Fire-Giver: an attempted Restoration of the lost First Port of the Promethean Trilogy of Æschylus,'' London, 1877, 8vo.
* ''The Lark : Songs, Ballads, and Recitations for the People,'' London, 1885, 4to.
His 'Songs for Sailors' were set to music in 1878 by
John Liptrot Hatton
John Liptrot Hatton (12 October 1809 – 10 September 1886) was an English musical composer, conductor, pianist, accompanist and singer.
Early career
Hatton was born in Liverpool to a musical family, for both his father John and grandfather wer ...
. A collective edition of his poems appeared in 1862 in Routledge's ''British Poets.''
Bibliography
William Cox Bennett published titles including:
"Baby May""The Sick Man's Prayer"(1850)
"Queen Eleanor's Vengeance and Other Poems"(1857)
"Songs by a Song-Writer"(1859)
Poems(1862)
"Proposals For and Contributions To a Ballad History of England"(1868)
"Our Glory Roll and Other National Poems"(1866)
"Baby May: Home Poems and Ballads"(1875)
References
;Attribution
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External links
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English male poets
19th-century English poets
19th-century English male writers
1820 births
1895 deaths
{{England-poet-stub