Bennett Family Crest, Coat of Arms and Name History

Bennett Surname Name Meaning, Origin, History, & Etymology

This primarily English/Irish surname derives from the medieval personal (first) name Benedict, and is a baptismal last name meaning “the son of Bennett”. Both words ultimately deriving from the Latin word bendictus, meaning “blessed”. The masculine given name Benedict derives from the Late Latin name Benedictus, a name which was popularized through Europe and Christendom by Saint Benedict, an Italian monk born in 480 AD in Umbria (modern day United Kingdom) crediting for founding western monasticism , and the 16 Roman Catholic Popes who bore the name after him. The derivation from benct, a minor order of priests, is an unlikely origin.

In England, the name was first established in the north of county Lancashire where Furness Abbey, a Benedictine monastery, was founded by Savigny monks from Normandy, France in 1127 AD, whereupon the name became a popular personal (first) name throughout the region, and shortly after, a baptismal/patronymic (“son of”) surname. The family also lived in Cheshire, where they lived in Willaston Hall, built by the family in 1558 AD. In Scotland, the name was first found in Perthsire.

Bennett of Ireland
The Bennett family is of Norman (French) descent and arrived in Ireland in 1172 AD who established themselves in counties Cork, Dublin, and King’s County. A noted member of this family in the United States was Colonel Michael Bennett, of Brooklyn, New York, who served with distinction in the American Civil War.

Spelling Variations
Common spelling variants or names with similar etymologies include Bennet, Benett, Benoit/Benet/Beneit (French), Fitz-Benedict, Benediscite, Bendiste, and Bendish.

Popularity & Geographic Distribution

The last name Bennett ranks 77^th in popularity in the United Status as of the 2000 Census. The name ranks particularly high in the following eight states: Georgia, West Virginia, Michigan, Indiana, Oregon, Delaware, Alaska, and Wyoming.

The surname Isaac frequency/commonness ranks as follows in the British Isles: England (54^th), Scotland (192^nd), Wales (49^th), Ireland (344^th) and Northern Ireland (273^rd). In England, it ranks highest in Gloucestershire and Derbyshire. In Ireland, the Bennett surname ranks highest in county Meath. In Scotland, it rankest highest in Clackmannashire. In Wales, it ranks highest in Flintshire and Montgomershire. In Northern Ireland, it ranks highest in counties Down and Army.

The name is also present throughout the remainder English speaking world:  Canada (112^th), New Zealand (65^th), Australia (60^th), and South Africa (445^th).

The 1890 book Homes of Family Names by H.B. Guppy, states the following in regard to this surname: “Differently derived from the early personal name of Benedict and firom “benet,” a minor order of priests. In the Hundred Rolls for Cambridgeshire and Oxfordshire, in the reign of Edward I, it occurs frequently in the form of Beneyt. At present it is rare or absent north of Lincolnshire and Lancashire, but is well dispersed over the rest of England, being best represented in Cornwall, Derbyshire, Dorset, Gloucestershire, Herefordshire, Notts, etc. It is singular that Bennetts is for the most part confined to Cornwall, the combination of the two varieties of the name placing this county at the head of the list”.

Early Bearers of the Surname

The earliest known bearer of this surname was William Benet who was documented in the Charter Rolls of Durham in 1208 AD. The Hundred Rolls of 1273 AD, a census of Wales and England, known in Latin as Rotuli Hundredorum lists two bearers of this surname: Nicholas Beneit (Oxfordshire) and Reginald filius (son of) Beneyt (Huntingdonshire). A one Robert Benet was documented in 1327 AD in county Somerset in Kirby’s Quest. The Poll Tax of Yorkshire in 1379 AD lists one bearer of this last name: Joanna Benet. An early marriage involving this surname was Bennett Bennett to William Stitche in London in 1577. Early baptisms involving this name were John, son of Thomas Bennett, at St. James Clerkenwell in London in 1578 AD and Dennys Bennett at St. Mary at Hill in 1567 AD. George Fraser Black’s 1946 book The Surnames of Scotland, states the following in regard to this last name: “Benedictus, son of Watler de Sancto Edmundo, witnessed a charter of sale of land in Perth in 1219 AD. Bendict the dean (decanus) witnessed the gift of the bill of Wystoun to the Hospital of Soltre in 1419 AD”.

Bennett Family Tree & Bennett Genealogy

Benett of Pythouse
Vere Fane-Benett-Stanford was Esquire of Pythouse and Norton House, Wiltshire, and of Preston Place, Sussex, as well as an Office in the army, an Aide-de-Camp to General Beresford in India, and a Member of Parliament for  Shaftesbury since 1873. He was born n 1839, son of Reverend Arthur Fane and successor to the estates of the Benetts of Pyhouse at the decease of his cousin, and assumed the surname and arms of Benett. In 1867, he married Ellen, sole daughter and heir of the late William Stanford, Esq. of Preston, and had one son with her: John-Montagu (1870). The lineage of this family traces back to the family of Bennet founded by John Bennet, who was Sheriff of Wiltshire in 1266 AD. His great grandson was Thomas Bennett, of Roston Bavant, who married the daughter and co-heir of the Page family of Devizes. He was succeeded by his son John. John married Agnes Forwarde of Somerset, and had issue with her. Their third son, William Bennet, had a great grandson named Thomas. Thomas Bennet Esq. died in 1653 and had issue, including a son William. William was an Esquire of Norton Bavant and of Westbury, Wilts, Recorder of Shaftesbury, and Bridport, Dorset, who, in 1686, married Patienta Bishop, sister and heir of Colonel Thomas Benet, with whom he had a son named Thomas Bennet. Thomas was Esquire of Norton Bavant and of Westbury, one of the Registrars of Prerogative Court of Canterbury, who in 1725, succeeded to the Pyhouse estate. In 1713, he married Etheldred, daughter and co-heir of His Grace William Wake, Archbishop of Canterbury, by whom he left at his decease in 1754, with other children, had: William (married Mary Mountain of Stockbridge, had son named William), Thomas, Reverend John (Rector of Donhead St. Andrew, Wiltshire and Ower Moigne, Dorset, married Frances Turton), and Amelia. He died in 1754 and was succeeded by his eldest surviving son, Thomas Bennet, Esq. of Pythouse, who obtained a Fellowship at Oxford. In 1766, he married Frances, daughter of Reverend Richard Reynolds of Little Paxton, and later Catherine, daughter of James Darrell of York Street, St. James, London, and had issue with the latter: Thomas, John (heir), William (married Ellen, daughter and heir of Thomas Gore, Esq. of Tring Park, Herts, and had issue), and Etheldred Anna Maria. He repurchased North Bavant and died in 1797, whereupon he was succeeded by his son John. John was an Esquire of Pythouse and Norton Bavant and a Member of Parliament who was born in 1773. In 1801, he married Lucy, daughter of Edmund Lambert Esq. of Boyton House, and had seven children with her: John (married Emily Blanche, daughter of Sir Henry Tichborne, Baronet), Thomas Edmund (1812), Lucy Harriet (married Reverend Arthur Fane), Etheldred Catherine (married Lord Charles Spencer Churchhill), Emily, Frances, and Anna-Maria (married Marmaduke Jeffreys of Eaton Place).

The Benett Coat of Arms (mistakenly called the Benett Family Crest) is blazoned in heraldry as follows: Gules, three demi lions rampant, argent, a mullet or, quartered with Fane and Stanford. Crest: Out of a mural crown or, a lion’s head issuant, azure, charged with a mullet or. They were seated at Pythouse, Hindon; Norton House, Warminister; and Preston Place, Preston, Sussex.

Bennet of Rougham Hall
Philip Bennet, Esquire of Rougham Hall, Suffolk, was born in 1862 and succeeded his father in 1875. The genealogy or ancestry traces back to Philip Bennet, Esq. of Widcombe, Somerset, son of Philip Bennet and Mary Hallam, grandson of Philip Bennet. He had a son named Philip. This Philip was an Esquire of Tollesbury, Justice of the Peace, and High Sheriff of Suffolk in 1821. He was born in 1771, and in 1794, he married Jane-Judith, only daughter of Reverend R. Kedington of Rougham Hall, and fathered three children with her: Philip, James Thomas (Rector of Cheveley, Justice of the Peace, married Henrietta Eliza Jackson), and Jane Fanny (married Reverend Samuel Alderson, Rector of Risby). The eldest son, Philip Bennet, Esq. of Tollesbury, was Justice of the Peace, Deputy Lieutenant, and a Member of Parliament for West Suffolk who was born in 1795, and in 1822, married Anne, daughter and co-heir of Sir Thomas Pilkington, Baronet of Chevert, and had a son and heir with her, also named Philip. His son Philip was Esquire of Tollesbury and Rougham Hall, Suffolk, as well as Justice of the Peace and Deputy Lieutenant for Suffolk, as well as a Major of the Suffolk Yeomanry Cavalry and Lieutenant of the Royal Horse Guards, born in 1827. In 1860, he married Barbara Harriot Sophia, daughter of Edgar Disney of Hyde, and had five children with her: Philip, Geoffrey, Cyril, Claude, and Iona. He died in 1875 and his widow married the Honorable Harbord Harbord. The Benett Coat of Arms (mistakenly called the Benett Family Crest) is blazoned in heraldry as follows: Gules, a bezant between three demi lions, rampant, couped argent. Crest: In a mural crown or, a lion’s head, couped, charged on the neck with a tenax. Motto: Bene tenax. This branch of the family tree was seated at Rougham Hall, Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk.

Bennett of Bennett’s Court
The Bennett genealogy of this branch of the Bennett family tree begins with George Bennett, Esquire of Maulachollig, county Cork, who married Mary Ruby and died in 1673, leaving a son named Edward. Edward was Esq. of Maulachollig, married Susanna, daughter of John Hamon, of Cork, Merchant, and had the following children with her: Joseph, Edward (of Cork, M.D.), George (had son named John), John, Anne (married John Wakeham), Elizabeth. His son Joseph Bennett, Esq. of Ballymore in county Cork, Ireland was the Recorder of the City of Cork. He married Elizabeth Warren, having no male issue, and his property went to his only daughter, Susanna. In 1781, Susanna married George Jackson, and had the following children with him: Joseph Henry (assumed the name and arms of Bennett in 1811), George (of Glanberg, county Waterford, Justice of the Peace), John (Rector of Tallow, county Waterford, married Rosa Poole in 1835 and had several issue with her), Edward Bennett (Captain of the 2^nd Foot Queen’s regiment, married Miss Grier), Georgina, Charlotte (married Richard Martin of Somerset), Anne, Maria (married William Sweet, Esquire, Royal Navy), and Elizabeth Warren. Their eldest son, Joseph Henry Bennett was of Bennett’s Court and succeeded the estates of his maternal grandfather. He married Theodosia Anne, daughter and heiress of John Smith, Esq. of Summer Castle, and one son with her, also named Joseph Henry. He died in 1861 (his son died in 1843) and his lands devolved to his nephew, Thomas Edward Jackson, who died in 1869, and then then lands to his brother, John Charles. This John Charles Bennett, Esquire of Bennett’s Court, county Cork, was born in 1843 and assumed the name of Bennett in lieu of his patronymic, Jackson, as well as of the arms of Bennett quarterly, with his paternal arms, by royal license, in 1874. In 1865, he married Mary, daughter and co-heir of Reverend Francis Newport, Rector of Rostellan, by Katherine, his wife, daughter of Sir Nugent Humble, Baronet of Cloncoskoran, and had four children with her: George Newport Jackson, Katherine Mary, Georginia, and Lucy Beatrice. The Bennett Coat of Arms (often erroneously called the Bennett Family Crest) is blazoned in heraldry as follows: Quarterly, 1^st and 4^th, Bennett, gules, a bezant between three demi-lions, rampant or; 2^nd and 3^rd, Jackcon, argent a lion, passant, gules, on a chief engrailed of the last three battle-axes of the first. Crests: 1^st: Bennett, out of a mural coronet or, a demi-lion rampant argent, holding between the paws a bezant; 2^nd Jackson, an arm, embowed, in armour, the hand grasping a battle-aze all proper, the arm charged with a mullet, gules. They family motto is Serve the King and they were seated at Bennett’s Court, Queenstown, county Cork, Ireland.

Bennett Faringdon House
The lineage of this branch of the Bennett family tree traces back to Daniel Bennet, Esq. of Faringdon House, Berks, who had a son named William. William of Faringdon House was born in 1790, and was High Sheriff of Berks in 1837. In 1817, he married Marianna, daughter of John Dunkin of Fryering, and had five children with her: Daniel, William (Lieutenant 15^th Hussars), John Dunkin, Elizabeth Emma (married Richard Meredyth Richards, son of R. Richards), and Marianne. His son Daniel Bennett of Faringdon House, Berkshire, was Justice of the Peace and Deputy Lieutenant, was born in 1823 and in 1847, he married Mary Elizabeth, daughter of Uvedale Corbett, Esq. of Aston Hall, and had a daughter with her named Marianne-Katherine. The Bennett Coat of Arms (mistakenly called the Bennett Family Crest) is blazoned in heraldry as follows: Gules, bezant, between three demi-lions, rampant, argent. Crest: A lion’s head, couped, gules, charged with a bezant.  The family motto is De bon vouloir server le roi and was seated at Faringdon House, county Berkshire, England.

Bennett of Cadbury
James Bennett, Esquire of Cadbury, married Mary, daughter of Thomas Clutterbuck, Esq. of Marazion, and had children with her. One son was also named James, an Esquire of Cadbury House who was born in 1798 and was Justice of the Peace. This James married Annabella, daughter of Reverend William Provis Wickham, leaving several issue, including Frederick Wentworth Bennett, Esquire of Cadbury House, Somerset, England, who was Justice of the Peace and a Captain in the 69^th Regiment. He was born in 1827 and married Catherine Eliza Smith.

Bennett of Sparkford Hall
The roots of this branch of the Bennett family tree trace back to Reverend Henry Bennet, of Sparkford Hall, who was born in 1795. He was the brother of James (of Cadbury) and was a Justice of the Peace. In 1821, he married Emily, daughter of Edward Moberly, and had fourteen children with her: Henry Edward, William Henry (married Helen Shebbeare), Edward James (married Anne Goodden), George, James Arthur (married Margaret Benn), Francis Cayley (married Mary Blessig), Charles William, Emily Sarah (married Charles Crokat), Julia Anne, Helen Frances (married Reverend R.W. Church), Mary Isabel (married Rev. J. Baker), Elizabeth Mary (married Reverend C.M. Church), Susan Fanny (married Archibald Grahane), and Agnes Emily. His son Henry Edward Bennett, Esquire of Sparkford Hall, near Ilchester, Somerset, was born in 1822 and succeeded his father in 1874. He was Justice of the Peace and 1^st Somerset Militia, and Barrister-at-Law. In 1857, he married Laura Birchell, daughter of Sir James B. Macaulay and had issue with her.

Bennett of Thomastown
The genealogy or ancestry of this branch of the Bennett family tree traces back to Nicholas Bennett, Esquire, who married Mabel O’Kelly of Roscommon and had issue with her: Thomas, Francis (his heir), Mabel (married John Ball), and Anne. His eldest surviving son was Francis Bennett, Esquire of Thomastown, who married Elizabeth Laffin of county Kilkenny, and had issue with her: Thomas, Valentine, Mary Catharine (married Lieutenant Colonel L’Estrange of Moystown), and Elizabeth Emily (married John Farrell of Moynalty). The youngest son was Valentine Bennett, Esq. of Thomastown who was Justice of the Peace, Deputy Lieutenant, and High Sheriff in 1830, who in 1824, married Elizabeth Helen, daughter of George Ryan of Inch House, and had the following issue with her: Francis Valentine, George Henry (Lieutenant Colonel of the 20^th Foot), Thomas Joseph (Reverend of the Church of Rome, Canon of Liverpool), Frederick of Philip, Henry Grey, Albert, and Elizabeth Marian. His son Francis Valentine Bennett, Esquire of Thomastown, King’s County, born in 1826, was Justice of the Peace, Deputy Lieutenant, and High Sheriff in 1854. This family was seated at Thomastown House, Frankford, King’s County.

Bennett of Thorpe Place
When King Henry VII of dissolved the monasteries of England, the manor of Thorpe became vested in the Crown, and remained so until Queen Elizabeth granted it to Sir John Wolley. His son and heir, Sir Frances Wolley, died in 1609, having passed the estate to his cousins, William Minterne and Elizabeth Minterne. Elizabeth married Sir Francis Leigh, whose ancestors had lived at Addington. The estate remained with the ancestors of this marriage, until, by marriage of two of the co-heiresses, Mary and Anne, in 1731 and 1737, respectively, the lands devolved to the Bennett and Spencer families. Thorpe was eventually allotted to Reverend Wolley Leigh Bennett by an Act of Parliament. He had a son named John, also a Reverend, who tore down to old Hall Place and built a new mansion called Thorpe Place. Around 1792, he married Harriott Eliza, daughter of Thomas Leigh Bennet, and had the following children with her: John Leigh, Henry Leigh, Reverend Edward Leigh (Vicar of Long Sutton, married Ellen Codrington and Anne Hudson Huntingford), Frederick Leigh, and Mary Anne (married Vice Chancellor Sir Richard Torin Kindsersley). His son, Reverend Henry Leigh of Thorpe Place, Surrey, Justice of the Peace, was born in 1795. In 1845, he married Caroline, daughter of George Henry Crutchley of Sunning Hill Park, Berkshire, and had three children with her: Henry Currie Leigh (1852), Herbert James Leigh (1854), and Mary Leigh. The Bennett Coat of Arms (mistakenly called the Bennett Family Crest) is blazoned in heraldry as follows: Gules, a bezant between three demi-lions, rampant, couped argent. Crest: A lion’s head gules, issuing out of a moral crown or. Motto: Dux vitae ratio.

Baronet Bennett
Sir Charles Wilfrid Bennett, 2^nd Baronet, of Kirklington, county Nottingham, was born in 1898 and succeeded his father in 1945. He was Lieutenant Colonel of the Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry and Lieutenant of Officers, 9^th Lancers who served in World War I and II. He was a Barrisater-at-Law, Inner Temple and a Metropolitican Magistrate in 1946. In 1927, he married  Agnes Marion, daughter of James Somervell, Justice of the Peace and Deputy Lieutenant of Sorn Castle, Ayrshire, and had two children: Ronald Wilfird Murdoch (1930) and Anne (1928). The lineage of this family traces back to Edward Bennett, born at Manchester, county Lancaster in 1840. In 1868, in Chile, South America, he married Eliza Ann, daughter of John Chapple, and had three daughters and a son with her. His son was Sir Albert James Bennett, 1^st Baronet, who was a Justice of the Peace, Member of Parliament, Nottinghamshire who was born in 1872. He was the Director or various mining companies and was Controller of Propaganda for Central and South American during World War I. He was created a Baronet in 1929. In 1896, he married Caroline Carleton, daughter of Backus of Lima, and had issue with her: Sir Wilifred Charles (2^nd Baronet), Frank Carleton (Lieutenant Royal Navy, married Mariella Douglass-Pennant), and Margaret Audrey (married Douglas Haultain Phillips). He later married Leopoldine, daughter of Leopold Armata of Vienna, and had a son with her named Peter, born in 1938. The Bennett Coat of Arms is blazoned as follows: Gules, a cross Moline between three demi-lions rampant or. Crest: In front of a lion rampant gules, charged on the shoulder with a cross Moline argent, scaling a ladder fessewise or. Motto: Servir le roy.

Other Bennett Pedigree and Family Trees
Gilbert Bennett was born in Stonehouse, United Kingdom before 1500. He married Margery Greenhuirst and had a daughter with her named Margery who was born in around 1507 and married Richard Fowler in 1522, having three issue with him: William, Joan (Stephens), and Margery (Fowler) Clutterbuck.

Charles Bennett was born in Stratfield, Connecticut around 1726. He married Sarah Adams and had a son with her named Samuel. His son Samuel was born in Weston, CT n 1755. He married Appollina Jennings and had a daughter with her named Sarah, who was born in 1793 in New York, married Ezra ide Perrin and had six issue with him prior to her 1185 death in Grand Rapids, MI.

Edward Bennett was born in Weymouth Doreset, England in 1600. He married Elizabeth Egington and had the following issue with her: Edward, Elizabeth, Mary, Susannah, and John. His son John was born in the same town in 1626 and he married Margery Fellow in Overbury, Worcestershire and later Ursula White in Providence, Rhode Island in 1655, fathering five children: John, William, John, Elizabeth (Hendrick), and Joseph. His son Josh Bennett (or Bennet) was born in Stonington, CT in 1681. He married Sarah Backus and had the following children with her: Joseph, Jerusha, Stephen, Sarah (Carter), Hannah (Butler), Phebe, Daniel, William, Nathaniel, and Joseph.

Early American and New World Settlers
Thomas Bennett, age 38, came to Virginia aboard the Neptune in 1618.
Mary Bennett, age 18, came to Virginia aboard the Southampton in 1632.
Robert Bennett was recorded as living in Virginia in February 1635 (cape in 1624 aboard the Jacob at the age of 24, or perhaps it was a different Robert)
Samwell Bennett was recorded as living in Virginia in February 1635 (came aboard the Providence at the age of 40 in 1622).
William Bennett came to Virginia in the 1600s aboard the Gods gift.
John Bennett was recorded as living in Virginia in February 1635, at Warwick Squeake (came aboard the Providence in 1622?)
Thomas Bennett, age 22, came to Virginia aboard the America in June 1635.
Joseph Bennett, age 18, came to Virginia aboard the Elizabeth in August 1635.
Charles Bennett came to the New World in the late seventeenth century as a convicted rebel (part of Monmouth’s Rebellion in 1685), as did John Bennett.
Thomas and William Bennett were prisoners transported to Barbados aboard the Dorchester Gaole.

The book Genealogical Guide to the Early Settlers, mentions eight bearers of this last name:
1) Ambrose Bennett, of Boston, Massachusetts, who in 1653, married Mary Seymour and had two issue named John (1654) and Ambrose (1656)
2) David Bennet of Rowley, MA, a doctor, who married Mary and had children David and Mary, and later he married Rebecca, daughter of Captain Roger Sherman, and had a son named Spencer in 1685.
3) Henry Bennett of Lyme, Connecticut, who in 1673, married Sarah Champion, daughter of Henry and had issue named Caleb (1675), Rose, John, Love, Dorothy, and Henry (1691)
4) James Bennett of Concord, Massachusetts, who became a freeman in 1639. He married Hannah, daughter of Thomas Wheeler and had children named Hannah and Thomas. He move to Fairfield in 1642 and had two more children there.
5) John Bennett of Stonington, Connecticut, who had William (1660), John (1666), and Joseph (1681), and perhaps others.
6) Richard Bennett of Salem, MA, 1636, married a woman named Sybil and had three children with her: Peter (1649), Susanna (1651), and Richard (1653).
7) Richard Bennett, of Newport, with wife Rebecca had a son named Robert in 1650 and perhaps others
8) Samuel Bennett of Lynn, came aboard the James from London in 1635, at the age of 24, owned a sizeable farm at Chelsea, and had at issue John, Samuel, Elisha, and perhaps Lydia.

Early settlers in colonial America bearing this surname in the eighteenth century include Nicholas Bennett (Virginia 1700), Anne Bennett (Virginia 1702), Writ Bennett (Virginia 1704), Peter Bennett (Virginia 1704), and Thomas Bennett (Virginia 1717).

In Canada, one of the earliest bearers of this surname was Charles Bennett who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1749. In Australia, of the first bearers was Lewis Bennett, a convict from London, England who came aboard the Adamant in 1821, settling in New South Wales (then a penal colony). In New Zealand, some of the earliest bearers were George, John, Thomas, William, and George Bennett who came in to Wellington in 1840.

Early Americans Bearing the Bennett Family Crest
Charles Bolton’s American Armory (1927) contains two entries for this surname:
1) Ancient tomb on Greenberry’s Point farm, Anne Arundel Co., Md. Picture in Zieber Heral., p. 45; correction in Ridgely Hist. Graves of Md., p. 7. [Or] 3 demi-lions ramp [gu]. Impaling: [Az] a lion ramp [or] (Lloyd).
2) Impaled by Anne, dau. of Gov. Richard Bennett of Vs. and wife of Theoderick Bland of Westover, 1071. Wm. & Mary Quar., Jan 1894, p. 157. Or 3 demi-lions ramp gu.

Crozier’s General Armory (1904) contains two entries for this name:
1) Thomas Bennett of New York, 1812, (came from Gloucestershire?). Per bend dancette argent and sable a bend between two martlets counterchanged.
2) Richard Bennett, Governor of Virginia. Or, three demi-lions rampant gules.

Matthew’s American Armoury (1907) and Bluebook contains one entry for this name: Daniel Collins Bennett was born in Albany, New York in 1848. He married Eleanor, daughter of Noel Earl Sisson, and had four issue with her: Noel Sison, Emeline Sisson, Elizabeth Campbell, and Eleanor Margaret. He was the son of Thomas D. Bennett of Albany and grandson of Daniel Bennett of Falfield, Gloucestershire, England. Arms: Per bend dancette argent and sable, a bend between two martlets counterchanged.

Mottoes
I have identified ten Bennett family mottos:
1) Dux vitae ratio (Reason is the guide of life)
2) Haud facile emergunt (They do easily rise up)
3) Irrevocabile (Irrevocable)
4) Mihi consulit Deus (God careth for me)
5) Serve the king (Bennett of Ireland)
6) De bon vouloir servir le roy (To serve the King with good will)
7) Aut nunquam tentes, aut perfice (Either do it perfectly or do not attempt it at all)
8) Pie et fortiter (Piety and fortitude)
9) Bene tenax (Rightly tenacious)
10) Serve the king

Grantees
We have 39 coats of arms for the Bennett surname depicted here. These 39 blazons are from Bernard Burke’s book The General Armory of England, Ireland, and Scotland, which was published in 1848. The bottom of this page contains the blazons, and in many instances contains some historical, geographical, and genealogical about where coat of arms was found and who bore it. People with this last name that bore an Bennett Coat of Arms (or mistakenly called the Family Crest)
1) Ann Bennett, daughter of Humphrey, of Salop, Thomas Cure of Southwark, 1588 by Cooke
2) George Wilby Bennett, co. Leic, certified by Browne, Bluemantle
3) Right Honorable Sir Henry Bennett, after Earl of Arlington, a principal Secretary of State, augmentation 12 October 1663 by Sir E. Walker
4) John, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Queen’s Master of Ordnance of the North parts of England, augmentation and crest 6 December 1560, by Dalton
5) John, London, vintner, by Cooke
6) Nicholas Bennett, citizen and haderdasher of London, son of Nicholas of Medingleigh, county Cambridge, crest 24 June 1633 by St. George
7) Richard Bennett, Lubbenham, county Leis., by Barker
8) Richard Bennett, High Sheriff of Chester, confirmed 1626, by Segar, being the arms of Warburton
9) Robert, Bishop of Hereford, confirmed 20 February 1602 by W. Dethick and Camden
10) Thomas, citizen, late Sheriff and Alderm, of London, grant 17 November 1600
11) Sir Thomas Bennett, Knight, Lord Mayor of London, by Camden
12) William Bennett or Benett of High Rooding, Essex, 1 April Chas 1, grant by R. St. George

Notables
There are hundreds of notable people with the Bennett surname. This page will mention a handful. Famous people with this last name include: 1) Robert Foster Bennett (1933-2016) who was a former United States Senator from Utah who was in office from 1993-2001 and was born in Salt Lake City, 2)  William John “Bill” Bennett (1943) is an American conservative pundit, political theorist, and 3^rd Secretary of Education under the Reagan Administration, 3) William Humphrey Bennett (1859-1925) who was a Member of the Canadian Parliament for Simcoe East, 4) William James Bennett (1787-1844) who was a British born painter and engraved active in the United States, involved in water color painting, 5) Thomas Bennett Jr. (1781-1865) who was an American businessman, banker, and politician who served as the 48^th Governor of South Carolina, 6) Roy C. Bennett (1918-2015) who was an American songwriter known for writing with Sid Tepper, leading to several hits for Elvis Presley, 7) Robert Russell Bennett (1894-1981) who was an American composer and arranger, known for his orchestration of Broadway and Hollywood musicals by other composers such as Irving Berlin, Richard Rodgers, Cole Porter, and Georg Gerschwin, 8) Richard Bennett (1609-1675) who was born in Wiveliscombe, Somerset, and became a colonial Governor of Virginia, 9) Richard Bedford Bennett, 1^st Viscount Bennett (1870-1947) who was a Canadian lawyer, politican, philanthropist, who became the 11^th Prime Minister of Canada from 1930-1935, 10) Joseph L. Bennett (1830s-1848) was an early settler in Montgomery Texas, County who was a Lieutenant at the Battle of San Jacinto and later was a member of the Texas House of Representatives, 11) Joan Geraldine Bennett (1910-1990) who was an American film, stage, and TV actor, who appeared in over 70 films, both during the silent and sound area, most remembered for her roles in The Woman in the Window and Scarlet Street, 12) Estelle Bennet (1941-2009) who was an American singer born in East Harlem, New York City, best known for being a member of the women’s musical group The Ronnettes, known for their songs such as “Be my Baby” and “Baby, I Love You”, and 13) Andrew Russell “Drew” Bennett (1978) who is a former professional American football player born in Berkeley, California who played wide receiver for three different NFL Teams: the Tennessee Titans, St. Louis Rams, and Baltimore Ravens.

Blazons & Genealogy Notes

1) Bennett – (Visit, co. Cornwall, 1620). Gu. three demi lions ramp. couped ar.
2) Bennett – (Chudleigh, co. Devon, Visit. Devon, 1620). Sa. a chev. engr. erminois betw. three ears of wheat or.
3) Bennett – (Finsbury). Gu. a bezant betw. three demi lions ramp. couped or. Crest—A demi lion ramp. couped or, holding in the paw a bezant.
4) Bennett – (Sir Thomas Bennett, Lord Mayor of London, Camden’s Grants). Gu. a bezant betw. three demi lions ramp. couped ar. Crest—Out of a mural crown or, a lion’s head couped gu. charged with a bezant.
5) Bennett – (granted by Dalton, Norroy, to John Bennett, Esq., of Newcastle-on-Tyne, the “Queen’s Master of the Ordnance of the North Parts,” 6 Dec., 3 Elizabeth, 1560). Az. on a fesse or, betw. three demi lions ar. a cannon of the field betw. two pellets. Crest—A castle or, with fire flaming therefrom ppr. charged with three pellets.
6) Bennett – Chequy ar. and gu. on a chief az. three mullets of the first.
7) Bennett – (Bedstone, co. Salop, granted to Richard Bennett, Esq., of Willaston Hall, co. Chester, 1626). Ar. five pallets sa. and a chief gu. quartering or, a lion pass. guard. sa. Crest—On a mount vert a greyhound pass, or, collared gu. studded ar. Motto—De bon vonloir servir le roy.
8) Bennett – (Faringdon, co. Berks). Gu. a bezant betw. three demi lions ramp. ar. Crest—A lion’s head charged with a bezant. Motto—De bon vouloir servir le roi.
9) Bennett – Ar. a chev. gu. betw. three torteaux.
10) Bennett – Ar. three church bells sa. edged or, clappers of the field.
11) Bennett – (Surrey and Berkshire). Quarterly, or and ar. an eagle displ. gu. Crest:—Out of a mural crown or, a lion’s head gu. charged on the neck with a bezant.
12) Bennett – (Pyt House, co. Wilts: a very ancient family, of which a pedigree of thirteen descents is recorded in the College of Arms. The estate of Pyt House is now possessed by Mr. Fane Benett-Stanford, a descendant maternally of the original family, his ancestor, William Benett, Esq., of Norton Bevant, having m., 1686, Patientia, sister of Col. Thomas Bennett, of Pyt House, secretary to Prince Rupert). (Salisbury). Per pale ar. and or, an eagle displ. gu. Crest—On a whelk shell or, a Cornish chough ppr. beak and legs gu. Motto—Mihi consulit Deus.
13) Bennett – (Laleston, co. Glamorgan). Ar. three goats’ heads erased sa. barbed and double armed or, langued gu. quartering Grose. Crest—A goat’s head, as in the Arms. Motto—Aut nunquam tentes, aut perfice.
14) Bennett – (New Ross, co. Wexford). Ar. a chev. betw. three lions’ heads erased gu.
15) Bennett – (Dublin). Quarterly, 1st and 4th, ar. two bars gu. within a bordure engr. sa.; 2nd and 3rd, az. three plates. Crest—An arm couped at the elbow, holding in the hand, a thistle, all ppr.
16) Bennett – (alias Pite) (Knockbillingsby, co. Limerick and co. Wilts). Quarterly, ar and or, an eagle displ. with two heads gu. Crest—On a whelk shell or, a bird sa. beaked and legged gu.
17) Bennett – (Fun. Ent. of Mrs. Bennett, buried in St. Michan’s Church, Dublin, 10 March, 1666). Ar. two bars and a border engr. gu.
18) Bennett – (Jackson) (granted to John Charles Jackson, late lieut. 1st West India regt., on assuming the additional surname and arms of Bennett). Quarterly, 1st and 4th, gu. a bezant betw. three demi lions ramp. or, for Bennett; 2nd and 3rd, ar. a lion pass. gu. on a chief engr. of the second three battleaxes erect of the first, for Jackson. Crests—1st: Out of a mural coronet or, a demi lion ramp. ar. holding betw. the paws a bezant, for Bennett; 2nd: An arm embowed in armour the hand grasping a battleaxe all ppr. the arm charged with a mullet gu., for Jackson. Motto—Serve the king.
19) Bennett – (Sparkford House, co. Somerset; Rev. Henry Bennett, of Sparkford, m. Emily, dau. of Edward Moberley, Esq., St. Petersburg, and d. 1874, leaving a son, Henry Edward Bennett, Esq., of Sparkford, J.F., Capt. 1st Somer­set Militia, m. 1857, Louisa Birchall, dau. and co-heir of Sir James B. Macaulay, C.B., Chief Justice of Toronto, and has Harry Macaulay Bennett, b. 1863, and other issue). Gu. a bezant betw. three demi-lions ramp. ar. a crescent for difference.
20) Bennett – (Sir Robert Bennett, Knt., Surveyor of the Works of Windsor Castle, knighted 1619; grandson and heir of Right Rev. Robert Bennett, D.D., Bishop of Hereford, 1603. Visit. Berks 1664-6). Ar. on a cross betw. four demi-lions ramp. gu. a bezant. Crest—A demi-lion ramp. gu. holding a bezant.
21) Bennet – (Scotland). Gu. a cross pattee or, betw. three mullets ar.
22) Bennet – (Grubbet, co. Roxburgh, bart., 1670). Gu. on a chev. betw. three stars ar. a cross Calvary gu. Crest—A hand issuing out of a cloud, holding forth a cross pattee fitchee. Motto—Benedictus qui toilet crucem. Another Motto—Pie et fortiter.
23) Bennet – (Scotland. Sir George Bennet, Bart., in Poland in 1671). Gu. on a chev. betw. three stars ar. as many crosses pattee of the first. Crest—A demi lion issuing out of the wreath, and holding in the dexter paw a cross pattee gu.
24) Bennet – (Earl of Tankerville, representative of Bennet, Dawley, co. Middlesex). (Bechampton, co. Berks, founded by Sir Thomas Bennet, Lord Mayor of London in 1603, younger brother of Richard Bennet, ancestor of the Earls of Tankerville). (Mordcen, co. Surrey, and Babraham, co. Cambridge, younger branches of Bennet). Gu. a bezant betw. three demi lions ramp. ar. Crest—A double scaling ladder or. Another Crest—Out of a mural crown or, a lion’s head gu. on the neck a bezant. Supporters—Two lions ar. ducally crowned or, each charged on the shoulder with a torteau. Motto—Do bon vouloir scrvir le roy.
25) Bennet – (London). Gu. a chev. betw. three demi lions ar. Crest—On a mount vert a martin ppr.
26) Bennet – (London, by grant, 24 June, 1633). Sa. a chev. erminois betw. three demi lions ramp. or, erased gu. Armed and langued of the same.
27) Bennet – (Newcastle, co. Northumberland). Az. on a fesse or, betw. three demi lions ramp. ar. a cannon dismounted sa. betw. two roundles per pale or and gu. Crest—On a wreath a tower triple-towered.
28) Bennet – (Rougham Hall, co. Suffolk, and London). Gu. three demi lions ramp. couped ar. in the centre point a bezant. Crest—In a mural crown or, a lion’s head couped of the first, charged on the neck with a bezant. Motto—Bene tenax. (also Thorpe Place, co. Surrey, Motto—Dux vitae ratio). (also (Kirtlinge).
29) Bennet – (Steeple-Ashton, co. Wilts, granted 1700). Party per fesse crenellee gu. and ar. a pale and three demi lions ramp. counterchanged crowned or. Crest—A demi lion ramp. ar. crowned or, supporting a tower ppr.
30) Bennet – (Abington, co. Cambridge). Ar. a bull pass. sa. armed or.
31) Bennet – (Leicestershire). Or, on a bend betw. six boars’ heads az. a demi lion betw. two fleurs-de-lis of the field.
32) Bennet – (Devonshire). Or, three demi lions ramp. gu.
33) Bennet – (Devonshire and Shropshire). Per bend dancettee ar. and sa. a bend betw. two martlets counterchanged.
34) Bennet – (Boston, co. Lincoln). Gu. on a bend ar. three towers triple-towered sa.
35) Bennet – (Norfolk). Erm. an inescutcheon gu. over all a bend engr. sa. Crest—Two dolphins entwined, erect on their tails, saltireways, one or, the other ar.
36) Bennet – (Somersetshire). Quarterly, ar. and sa. a fesse per pale gu. and or, within a bordure az. charged with an entoire of ogresses.
37) Bennet – Sa. a chev. erminois betw. nine ears of wheat, tied in three parcels, or. Crest—A ship in full sail ppr.
38) Bennet – Gu. three demi lions pass. in pale ar. crowned or.
39) Bennette – Sa. betw. three garbs or, two shepherd’s crooks in saltire of the second.