Wednesday 21st May 2014
Brian Excell writes ~
Dear Danny, I’m enjoying your website on the lore of south west Wiltshire.
I was particularly interested in your story on ‘Mad Jack’ Bennett, who was indeed a memorable character in southern Wiltshire from about 1890 to his death in 1947. His real name was John Montagu Fane Benett Stanford (his surname was Benett with one ‘n’). I’m very interested in Jack as I’ve been writing a book about him and his family – the Benett-Stanfords; they are all quite an interesting bunch.
I have made contact with other people who know something about the Benett-Stanfords such as Jan Oliver, Rex Sawyer, Bernard Pike and Robert Moody, so I would be most interested to hear from you if you had any further anecdotes about Jack and/or Pythouse.
Your Jack at the Bishopstrow church was fascinating – a typical ‘Jack’ story. I know that Bishopstrow had a particular interest to Jack in that his wife Evelyn came from there. However, a week before their scheduled wedding of June 23rd, 1893 her father Capt. Burchall Helme walked in front of a passenger train which went by his property thus killing himself. The wedding understandably had to be postponed.
Thank you for any further information you can pass my way.
Danny Howell replies ~
Hello Brian, Thank you for your email with regard “Mad Jack” Benett.
Very interested to hear you are writing a book about him and his family.
I have been told by more than person that a favourite thing for Mad Jack to do, was, when out in his car, was to stop and talk to people at the roadside who would marvel at his car. He would ask them if they would like to go for a ride in it, only to drive on quite a distance and then drop them off miles from where they started ~ the unfortunate people would then have to make their way back on foot!
Also of interest, and I guess you know this already, is correspondence from Jack in a local newspaper with regard the name of the village Norton Bavant and its owners; and “The House That Jack Built”, a cottage in Norton Bavant, but I guess if you’ve been researching you know about these things?
I have come across Captain Burchall Helme in my researches (there’s a memorial plaque to him in Bishopstrow Church). I believe I’m right in saying he was crossing the railway line between Bishopstrow and Middleton, to go and watch some haymaking in progress, when he was struck by the train and accidentally killed.
Pleased to hear from you. Do keep in touch.