Sir Christopher John Benson OAM DL FRICS (20 July 1933 – 21 January 2024) was a British chartered surveyor and company director, chairman of major companies and public bodies, and a High Sheriff of Wiltshire.
Christopher Benson | |
|---|---|
| Born | Christopher John Benson 20 July 1933 Staffordshire, England |
| Died | 21 January 2024 (aged 90) Salisbury, England |
| Occupation(s) | Chartered surveyor and company director |
| Spouse |
Margaret Josephine Bundy
(m. 1960) |
Early life and naval service
editBenson was born in Wheaton Aston, Staffordshire in 1933, the only son of Charles Woodburn Benson and Catherine Clara Bishton.[1][2] He was privately educated at the King's School Worcester, then after failing to enter Dartmouth naval college he joined Thames Nautical Training College to receive training as a seagoing officer. At age 16 he entered the merchant navy and was employed by the Union-Castle Line. After a spell of conscription in the Royal Navy, he was posted to RNAS Lossiemouth where he played rugby for the Navy's Scotland team. He was seriously injured in a car accident at the age of 20, and invalided out of the Navy.[1]
Business career
edit
Benson began a career as an agricultural auctioneer and valuer, then turned to commercial property in 1965.[3] He worked for a time for Arndale Developments,[1] a builder of shopping centres, and qualified as a chartered surveyor.[4] He started his own firm, Dolphin Developments, in 1969. In 1973 he sold his company and was hired as a director of property developer MEPC plc, where he became managing director in 1975 and was credited with rescuing the company from the effects of the 1973–1975 recession.[1]
In 1988, he became a director of Sun Alliance, where he was chairman from 1993 to 1996, then chairman of the enlarged Royal and Sun Alliance until 1998.[4] In 1997, he was appointed by the government to chair its Funding Agency for Schools.[5] Benson was also chairman of Costain Group, Boots (1990–1994) and Albright and Wilson. In 1984 he was appointed to chair the London Docklands Development Corporation where he was involved in the development of the Canary Wharf business district.[4]
Charitable works
editOutside business, Benson was a vice-president of the Royal Society of Arts, Master of the Company of Watermen and Lightermen and President of the Coram Foundation. He was an honorary bencher of the Middle Temple, serving on its Scholarship Fund Appeal Committee.[6] He served as chair of the Civic Trust, a charity which championed high-quality architecture.[1] On his death he had been chairman of the National Deaf Children's Society for over 30 years.[7]
Personal life
editIn 1960, in Salisbury, Benson married Margaret Josephine Bundy,[8] a daughter of Ernest Jefferis Bundy.[9] They had two sons.[1] A justice of the peace, mayor of Salisbury (1969–1970),[10] and a deputy lieutenant of Wiltshire from 1997,[11] Jo Benson was awarded the OBE in 1973.[12] The couple made significant donations to Salisbury District Hospital.[4] She died on 1 August 2022.[13]
Sir Christopher Benson died from pulmonary fibrosis at home in Salisbury, on 21 January 2024, at the age of 90.[14] His funeral service was held at Salisbury Cathedral on 22 February 2024.[15][1]
Honours and awards
editBenson was knighted in the 1988 New Year Honours for public services.[16][9] He served as a magistrate for over 20 years[4] and was High Sheriff of Wiltshire for 2002.[17] In 2005 he was commissioned a Deputy lieutenant of Greater London.[18] He was awarded an honorary Medal of the Order of Australia in January 2020 for service to the bilateral relationship between Australia and the United Kingdom.[19]
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f g "Sir Christopher Benson obituary". The Times. 4 March 2024. Retrieved 4 March 2024.
- ^ “BENSON Christopher J / Bishton /Cannock / 6b 582” in General Index to Births in England and Wales, 1933
- ^ "Charity". Secret Spitfires Memorial. Retrieved 4 March 2024.
- ^ a b c d e Elkins, Jordan (31 January 2024). "'We are incredibly proud of his life' - Sir Christopher Benson's sons pay tribute". Salisbury Journal. Retrieved 4 March 2024.
- ^ Fran Abrams, Labour berates Quango largesse in The Independent, 25 February 1997, accessed 27 April 2020
- ^ Masters of the Bench: Sir Christopher Benson FRICS JP DL at middletemple.org.uk, accessed 27 April 2020
- ^ "Our President". www.ndcs.org.uk. Retrieved 4 March 2024.
- ^ "BENSON Christopher J / BUNDY Josephine M / Salisbury / 7c 1047" in General Index to Marriages in England and Wales, 1960
- ^ a b ”Benson, Sir Christopher (John)” in Who's Who online, accessed 28 April 2020 (subscription required)
- ^ Elkins, Jordan (2 August 2022). "Former Salisbury mayor Lady Jo Benson OBE has passed away". Salisbury Journal. Retrieved 27 February 2023.
- ^ "No. 54680". The London Gazette. 14 February 1997. p. 1925.
- ^ "No. 45860". The London Gazette (1st supplement). 29 December 1972. p. 9.
- ^ "Benson". Register. The Times. No. 73864. London. 17 August 2022. col 4, p. 49.
- ^ "Remembering Master Christopher Benson". middletemple.org.uk. 22 January 2024.
- ^ "Notices:Sir Christopher John Benson DL, JP, OAM, FRICS". Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 26 February 2024.
- ^ "1988 New Year Honours". The London Gazette.
- ^ "High Sheriffs appointed by Her Majesty in Council for the year 2002". London Gazette. 26 March 2002. Retrieved 23 January 2024.
- ^ "Deputy Lieutenant Commissions". London Gazette. 9 March 2005. Retrieved 4 March 2024.
- ^ "Order of Australia" (PDF). Gazette Commonwealth of Australia. 28 January 2020. Retrieved 26 June 2020.