Robert Bennet d.1617

Robert BENNET or BENNETT d.1617

Biographical Note

Born in Baldock, Hertfordshire, son of Leonard Bennet. BA Trinity College, Cambridge 1567, MA and fellow 1570, University preacher 1576, BTh 1577. Master of St Cross Hospital, Winchester 1583, and later chaplain to William Cecil; Dean of Windsor, 1596. Registrar of the Order of the Garter 1597. Bishop of Hereford 1603. He was active, in the diocese, in opposing recusancy and improving the educational and preaching standards of the clergy.

Books

The size of Bennet’s library is not known, but he gave directions for its disposal in his will: “I give unto Doctor Griffiths (i.e. Silvanus Griffiths, Dean of Hereford), Doctor Best (John Best, canon of Hereford] and Doctor Richardson (John Richardson, canon of Hereford] all my bookes printed equally to be divided between them except the Great English Bible in the dyneinge roome w[hi]ch I give unto Doctor Griffiths, and my actes and monuments [i.e J. Foxe, Actes and monuments] I give unto my … cosen Robert Bennett, and except my paper bookes w[hi]ch I give unto Doctor Griffiths to be kept severally by him still. He also bequeathed £20 to Trinity College for the purchase of books.

Characteristic Markings

None of Bennet’s books have been identified. The books bought for Trinity were labelled with a printed gift label (STC 3368.5/Bennett).

Sources

• Pearson, D., The libraries of English bishops, 1600-1640, The Library 6th ser 14 (1992), 221-257.
• Richardson, William. '"Bennet, Robert (d. 1617), bishop of Hereford."' Oxford Dictionary of National Biography.