Bennett's of Ballinacurra Descriptive List (Ref. B609)

B609/

Bennett’s diaries and letters also document the lives of his family. Early diaries discreetly record his closeness to his father and sisters, and his developing relationship with Brida Williams, his sister’s companion, who became his first wife in 1887. They had two children, Jack and Gwen, regarding whom a small number of records survive (B609/9/C). After school in England, Jack had begun his training as a maltster and seemed set to join and succeed his father in the business. Tragically, however, Jack was killed on 13 October 1915, in action with the Royal Munster Fusiliers. Bennett was deeply moved by the loss, recalling it for the remainder of his life on Jack’s birthday and anniversary. He was to suffer further loss when Brida, heartbroken by Jack’s death, died on 10 April 1916. Happiness was to return, however, following his remarriage in June 1918 to Esther McNeill, a widow (B609/9/A/35-37). While his daughter Gwen settled in England, he came to form a very high opinion of his stepdaughter Dorothy, writing in 1925 that she is ‘a wonderful young woman’ with ‘views of life both Oxonian and National – It is inspiring to listen to her conversation’ (B609/9/A/45). John H Bennett was also actively involved in public and religious life in east Cork. He served on the Board of Guardians and the Grand Jury, and was a justice of the peace. He also served as a governor of Midleton College. He was a member of the vestry for Midleton parish, and also sat on the diocesan board of education. A member of the Church of Ireland, and politically Unionist in outlook, his observations on the great political developments of his lifetime are of much interest. In 1899 he records his concern at Boer successes against the British army, while in 1916 he welcomes the imposition of martial law following the Easter rising. He was greatly saddened and angered at the death of friends during the War of Independence, and at the emigration of others, often following the destruction of property. He became a supporter of the Cumann na Gaedheal party, but in early 1932 he noticed the lack of canvassing on behalf of the party which was to lead to its loss of power in that year’s election (B609/9/A/52). A tone of resigned acceptance at these great political changes is evident in later diaries, no doubt much influenced by his personal losses in the 1910s and 1920s. Bennett’s diaries also contain much comment on his business, and in many ways supplement the information found in the firm’s formal records. Similarly, company letter books, especially for the nineteenth century, contain many personal letters, often relating to estate and legal matters. There is much reference in diaries and letters to tenants on his estate at Corbally, near Fermoy, the sale of which to his tenants under the Ashbourne Act was completed in 1906 (B609/1/B/4-5; B609/9/A/26). Bennett was also a prominent landlord in and around Ballinacurra. He sought to provide labourers’ cottages in the village, offering both to build them and to supply land to the County Council at different times (B609/1/B/5; B609/9/A/20, 27). He also gave financial assistance to the Ballinacurra Workmen’s Club, most of whose members were his employees, and the dairy at his farm supplied milk and butter for the village (B609/5/E/2, B609/3/C/18-19, B609/6/D/6). The esteem in which Bennett was held by his employees and tenants is shown in their participation in his funeral in 1935, as described by Dorothy McNeill (B609/9/B/6).