Edward Trusted Bennett Explained

Edward Trusted Bennett
Birth Date:	1 July 1831
Birth Place:	London
Death Place:	Port Isaac, Cornwall
Occupation:	Botanist, psychical researcher

Edward Trusted Bennett (1 July 1831 – 16 November 1908), best known as Edward T. Bennett, was a British botanist and psychical researcher.

Biography

Bennett was born in London. His younger brother was the botanist Alfred William Bennett. As a young man he collected plant specimens in Cornwall and the New Forest.^{[1] [2]} Bennett was the last Quaker in Britain to be disowned for holding different theological opinions. In 1873, he was disowned for supporting the heretical views of Charles Voysey.^{[3] [4]}

He was a member of the British National Association of Spiritualists and the first secretary of the Society for Psychical Research.^[5] From 1882 to 1902 he worked as an assistant secretary for the Society.^[6]

He died in Port Isaac, Cornwall.

Publications

• The Poetical Work of George Barlow: A Study (1903)
• The Society for Psychical Research: Its Rise & Progress & a Sketch of its Work (1903)
• Twenty Years of Psychical Research: 1882-1901 (1904)
• Automatic Speaking and Writing: A Study (1905)
• The Physical Phenomena Popularly Classed Under the Head of Spiritualism (1907) [With a brief introduction by [[Oliver Lodge]]]
• The Direct Phenomena of Spiritualism (1908)
• Psychic Phenomena (1909) [With a foreword by [[Oliver Lodge]]]

Further reading

• William F. Barrett. (1908). Obituary: Edward T. Bennett. Journal of the Society for Psychical Research 26: 324–326.

Notes and References

1. Anonymous. (1909). Book-Notes, News, Etc. Journal of Botany, British and Foreign 47: 39.
2. Desmond, Ray. (1994). Dictionary of British and Irish Botanists and Horticulturists. Taylor & Francis Ltd. p. 65. .
3. Helmstadter, Richard J. (1997). Freedom and Religion in the Nineteenth Century. Stanford University Press. p. 147.
4. Kennedy, Thomas C. (2001). British Quakerism, 1860-1920: The Transformation of a Religious Community. Oxford University Press. p. 81. .
5. Oppenheim, Janet. (1985). The Other World: Spiritualism and Psychical Research in England, 1850-1914. Cambridge University Press. p. 425. .
6. Crabtree. Adam. (1988). Animal Magnetism, Early Hypnotism, and Psychical Research, 1766-1925: An Annotated Bibliography. Kraus International Publications. p. 349.