BENNET, WILLIAM [SSNE 1222]

Surname: BENNET
First name: WILLIAM, VILHELM
Title/rank: BARON MAJOR GENERAL
Nationality: SCOT
Region: ABO/TURKU
Social status: NOBILITY

Text source

Baron and Major General William Bennet was the son of the Scottish officer James Bennet and Christina Kinnemond (daughter of the Scottish Colonel Thomas Kinnemond). William was born either in 1677 in Abo, Finland or in 1680 in Livland and was the first Baron Bennet of Batteberga and Viderova and Ellinge. There are conflicting reports about his early career. SAÄ states that he was a volunteer in Riga in 1693 and a 'furir' in 1695. The register of the Muster Rolls states that he was taken on in 1697 at the age of 19 in November 1697. He certainly served in Erik Soop's recruited infantry regiment by 1698 as 'forare' and sergeant by 1699. Thereafter he became a cornett in Albedyhl's dragoon regiment in 1700, and gained promotion to lieutenant the next year. In 1703 he was a regimental quartermaster, and by 1704 he was a captain. Bennet became a major in the Kronoberg regiment in 1709 with whom he survived the Swedish military disaster at Poltava. Bennet became a lieutenant colonel in the Uppland 'femming' cavarly regiement gaining his colonelcy in 1710. In 1717 he was a cavalry major general. Bennet was made a baron in 1719 and 'introduced' that year. From that point on he took on more civic duties including becoming regional governor for Halland in 1728 and Malmöhus in 1737. There he combined both the civic governorship with the position of military commandant. William Bennet died in 1740. In his life he had undertaken a variety of tasks including having once delivered the news of the king's death to the queen, Ulrika Eleanora. His brother's sons, Robert and Thomas, entered service in the British navy highlighting the links the family maintained with their home country

Swedish Krigsarkiv, Muster Roll, 1698/4, and 1699/3; Svenska Adelns Ättatravlor, vol. 1, p.287; H. Marryat, One Year in Sweden, including a visit to the isle of Gotland (London, 1862), p.482; Otto Donner, A brief sketch of the Scottish families in Finland and Sweden (Helsinfors, 1884), p.20; P. Englund, The Battle of Poltava: The Birth of the Russian Empire (London, 1992), p.242 and Biographical Appendix, p.264; A. Lewenhaupt, Karl XII:s Officerare Biografiska anteckningar (2 vols., Stockholm, 1920), I, p.38.

Service record

SWEDEN, ABO, FINLAND?: Arrived 1677-01-01; Purpose MISC.
SWEDEN, SWEDISH ARMY RIGA: Arrived 1693-01-01, as VOLUNTEER; Departed 1699-12-31, as SERGEANT; Capacity OFFICER, purpose MILITARY
SWEDEN, SOOP'S INFANTRY: Arrived 1697-11-01, as FORARE; Departed 1699-12-31, as FORARE; Capacity OFFICER, purpose MILITARY
SWEDEN, ALBEDYHL'S DRAGOON REGIMENT: Arrived 1700-01-01, as CORNETT; Departed 1704-12-31, as CAPTAIN; Capacity OFFICER, purpose MILITARY
SWEDEN, KRONOBERG REGIMENT: Arrived 1709-01-01, as MAJOR; Departed 1737-12-31, as COMMANDANT; Capacity OFFICER, purpose MILITARY
SWEDEN, HALLAND AND MALMOHUS: Arrived 1728-01-01, as GOVERNOR; Departed 1737-12-31, as GOVERNOR; Capacity GOVERNOR, purpose MILITARY