Francis Bennett-Goldney

Major Francis Bennett-Goldney FSA MP (1865 – 27 July 1918) was the Independent Unionist Member of Parliament (MP) for Canterbury and Mayor of Canterbury 1906-1911, who died during World War I.^[1]

He was born Francis Evans, the son of Sebastian Evans,^[2] in Moseley, near Birmingham. He later assumed his mother's family name of Bennet-Goldney.^[1]

Goldney was appointed as Athlone Pursuivant of the Order of St Patrick in February 1907, and has been mentioned as a possible suspect in the theft of the insignia of the Order, known as the Irish Crown Jewels, in July 1907.^[3]

In the years leading up to the war, he frequently spoke of the threat posed by Germany, and never wavered from his opinions despite criticism. He was also very active in the service of aiding refugees in the early days of the war.^[1]

As a Major in the Royal Army Service Corps, he joined the British Embassy in Paris in October 1917, and became honorary assistant Military Attaché. He died 27 July 1918 in an American hospital in Brest from injuries sustained in a car accident. He was buried at St Germain-en-Laye, near Paris. At the time of his death, he was the 17th member of the House of Commons to have died serving in the war.^[1]

References

1. "Major Bennett-Goldney, M.P.". The Times (The Times Digital Archive). 29 July 1918. p. 9.
2.  Lee, Sidney, ed. (1912). "Evans, Sebastian". Dictionary of National Biography, 1912 supplement​ 1. London: Smith, Elder & Co.
3. "New suspect in century-old theft of Irish gems" Daily Telegraph 26 December 2007

External links

• Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by Francis Bennett-Goldney