Benn William

Benn William an English Nonconformist divine, was born at Egremont, in Cumberland, in November, 1600. He was educated at St. Bees, and at Queens College, Oxford. On leaving the university, he became rector of Oakingham, Berkshire, and afterwards chaplain to the marchioness of Northampton. In 1629 he obtained the rectory of All Saints, Dorchester, and continued in that capacity until Bartholomew's day, when he was ejected for nonconformity. "In 1654 he was one of the assistants to the commissioners for ejecting such as were called scandalous, ignorant, and insufficient ministers and schoolmasters." After his own ejectment, he continued to preach occasionally, and was sometimes fined and imprisoned. He died March 22, 1680. He, published an Answer to Mr. Francis Bampfield's Letter, in Vindication of the Christian Sabbath Against the Jewish (Lond. 1672), and a volume of sermons on Soul Prosperity (1683). See Chalmers, Biog. Dict. s.v.; Allibone, Dict. of Brit. and Amer. Authors, s.v.