Early Life and Education
– Born in Taxal, Derbyshire, son of Abraham Bennet and Ann Fallowes
– Recorded as a teacher at Wirksworth Grammar School
– Ordained in London in 1775
– Appointed curate at Tideswell and Wirksworth
– Became rector of Fenny Bentley, domestic chaplain to the Duke of Devonshire, and librarian to the Duke of Bedford
Contributions to Science
– Associated with the Lunar Society and the Derby Philosophical Society
– Worked on electrical measurements with Erasmus Darwin
– Established expertise in electricity and participated in a meeting with prominent scientists in London
– Published ‘New Experiments on Electricity’ in 1789
– Described the gold-leaf electroscope, doubler of electricity, and a theory of electricity
Political Involvement
– Supported by patrons such as Joseph Banks and the Gell family
– Took sides against radicals of the Lunar and Derby Philosophical Societies
– Signed the Gells petition against Jacobinism in 1795
– Tensions among supporters may have led to the end of his scientific work
– Possible reasons for the end of his scientific work include ill-health
Personal Life
– Married Jane and had six daughters and two sons
– Jane died in 1826
– Bennet died of severe illness
– No further information about his personal life
Honors and Memorials
– Became a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1789
– Memorial plaque in St Mary’s Church, Wirksworth
– Portrait by an unknown artist
– No additional honors or memorials mentioned
– No further information about his legacy or impact Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abraham_Bennet
Abraham Bennet FRS (baptised 20 December 1749 – buried 9 May 1799) was an English clergyman and physicist, the inventor of the gold-leaf electroscope and developer of an improved magnetometer. Alessandro Volta cited Bennet as a key influence on his work, although Bennet's own work was curtailed by the political turbulence of his time.
