Edward and George Benn, originating from Tandragee, Co Armagh, were brother philanthropists who deeply impacted the city of Belfast, in spite of claims that they were not entirely magnanimous towards their leaseholders. In their tenure, they also became reputable antiquarians leaving behind a considerable collection of historical objects.
Edward Benn, born in 1798 though the exact date remains unknown, died 150 years ago on August 3rd. He was the third son in a brood of four boys and five girls. His parents were Elizabeth Craig and John Benn, a Belfast brewer. Their family line could be traced back to Cumberland in the 18th century.
Educated at the Belfast Academy on Cliftonville Road, Edward along with his younger brother George, who would eventually become a Belfast historian, closely cooperated in running a distillery in Downpatrick, Co Down.
Later on, their operations moved to Glenravel estate, situated near Ballymena, Co Antrim. Their father was rumoured to have made this purchase. During the 1830s, they initiated comprehensive development projects building infrastructure and fostering the land. Edward constructed Glenravel House there, which became his residence in 1842.
According to Helen Andrews and Ruan O’Donnell, co-authors of Edward Benn’s entry in the Dictionary of Irish Biography, the brothers’ drive and ingenuity sometimes fell short. An ambitious attempt to produce spirits from potatoes was halted by excise regulations causing significant financial loss.
Edward responded to this by issuing a caustic letter to the British Prime Minister, Lord John Russell. He criticised the perplexing nature of British excise and its destructive impact on county revenue. Following this, coupled with an unfavourable potato blight, the siblings then relocated to Liverpool in the mid-1840s to explore new business ventures.
Iron-ore deposits were uncovered within the Glenravel area’s nearby hills, this discovery brought the Benns family back to Antrim. They grasped the opportunity for commercial exploitation by conducting iron smelting, leading to the rise of a substantial local industry that considerably augmented the Benn family’s wealth.
Commendably, they did not hoard their wealth but shared it magnanimously through numerous philanthropic ventures in the region, largely driven by their involvement in the Belfast Charitable Society.
Edward Benn acknowledged the integral role of specialist hospitals and hence, played a part in establishing three out of six existing in Belfast. One of them is a full-scale rebuild of the Ulster Eye, Ear and Throat Hospital, provided for in 1874 and named after him. This inspiration came from Dr William McKeown, an eminent eye specialist of the time. Amidst the Belfast Blitz, as German bombs wreaked havoc around it, the hospital served its local community devotedly.
Another institution was the Belfast Hospital for Diseases of the Skin. This 1865-established hospital moved into a brand-new building on Glenravel Street financed by Benn. Known for offering experimental skin treatments, it drew patients globally until its demolition by German bombing in 1941. Today, Glenravel Street no longer exists, having been transformed into the Westlink Motorway.
Edward Benn’s philanthropy also extended to the establishment of the Samaritan Hospital for Women and Children. Not long after his death in August 1874, the foundation stone for this new venture was laid. Reflecting his progressive thinking, these hospitals were open to all, regardless of their sect, funded through public donations for the less privileged and service fees from the well-off. As quoted by Helen Andrews and Ruan O’Donnell.
Moreover, Benn discreetly financed two additional extensions to the Belfast Charitable Hospital (formerly city’s Poor House). The hospital was eventually renamed in his honour.
The Belfast Natural History and Philosophical Society (BNHPS) attracted him due to his passion for antiques. He was a regular contributor to a few journals, such as the Irish Penny Journal, the Journal of the Kilkenny Archaeological Society, and in 1855, launched a pamphlet named ‘Objects in Glass’. He left behind a sizeable number of antiques, over 1,500 in his collection, as well as a vast antiquarian library to the BNHPS. These were initially housed in the Benn Room before being moved to the Ulster Museum. A substantial monetary gift from him to the Belfast Academical Institution facilitated the creation of a new department of mathematics.
As a non-practicing Presbyterian, he remained single and was described as ‘peculiarly reserved’ by his brother. After a period of ill health, he passed away at Glenravel House and was laid to rest in the Clifton Street cemetery in Belfast. His property was passed onto his brother George, who then donated portraits of him to the Samaritan Hospital and the Belfast Charitable Society. The Benn documents can be found in the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland.
His philanthropic initiatives…. Played a significant role in the provision of medical care for several years and influenced the subsequent growth of Clifton Street as a medical hub (sourced from www.greatplacenorthbelfast.com).