Introduction
John Bennett (c. 1720 – 1792) was an Irish politician, barristerand judge.
He was born in Cork, the son of George Bennett.William Henn of Paradise Hill, County Clare,his future colleague on the Bench, was hiscousin.He was educated at the University of Dublin and at the Middle Temple. He was called to the Irish Bar in 1758. He entered politics but was not at first successful in his political career:although he was elected to the Irish House of Commons for Dungarvanin 1776, hewaspromptly unseated.In 1783 he stood for Parliament againboth Castlemartyrand Charleville and took his seatas memberfor Castelmartyr.
His first judicial officewasRecorder of Cork,although the precisedates between whichhe held this office are uncertain; most likely he was Recorder from 1783 to 1787.In the latter yearhe was appointed a justice of the Court of King's Bench (Ireland)and heldthe latter office till his death in 1792.
Elrington Ball states that Bennettwas a man noted for his independence of mind: as such he was bound to clashwith the formidable Lord Chief Justice of Ireland, John Scott, 1st Earl of Clonmell.Scott was determined to absolutelydominate theCourt of King's Benchandfrom the beginninghe regarded Bennett, who wasnot a man inclined to take a subservientrole, as his enemy: "one adverse to me",and apparently tried to block his appointment to the Bench.Scott regarded anothercolleague, William Henn, Bennett's cousin as "at best a fool". Only after Bennett's deathand Henn's retirement was Scottin the 1790s able to remould his Court as he wished.
Family
Bennett married Jane Lovett,daughter of Jonathan Lovett senior, of the prominent landowning family of Kingswell,County Tipperary, and his wife EllenMansergh. Janewas the sister of Sir Jonathan Lovett, first and last of the Lovett baronets.They had several children, including John Bennettjunior of Hiverston,andJane, whomarried Richard Pennefather (1773-1859), Baron of the Court of Exchequer (Ireland).