Bennett, Robert bio

Portrait and Biographical Album of Fulton County, Illinois: containing full page portraits and biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens of the county: together with portraits and biographies of all the presidents of the United States, and governors of the state; Biographical Pub. Co., Chicago, IL; 1890; page 749-750; Transcribed by Margaret Rose Whitehurst
Robert Bennett. This country is the home of many Englishmen who have come here from time to time to take advantage of the peculiarly favorable opportunities offered by accumulating money, and few have won more friends or been more successful than the subject of our sketch. He was born in Lancashire, England, in the parish of Ashton, being the son of George and Betty (Robinson) Bennett. The father was born in England, as was also the mother, and to them were born ten children, seven of whom grew to maturity, viz; Robert, William Lucy, Shakespeare, Sarah A., Horatio, and Eliza.
Our subject’s birth occurred July 10, 1824, and he grew to maturity in his native country; as his father was in reduced circumstances he attended day school a little before the age of ten years and then went to night school afterward. At the age of ten years he commenced to work in a cotton mill, working twelve hours each day, and at the same time attending night school, to which he was compelled to walk a mile and a half after his long day’s work. He continued in the cotton mills and cotton warehouses until he was twenty-two years old, at which time he started in the tea and coffee business on a small scale, and was also engaged in the dry-goods business at Ashton.
The subject of our sketch when twenty-four years of age, married Miss Jane Clegg, a daughter of Daniel Clegg, and a native of Lancashire, England. About a month after their marriage August 21, 1848, they sailed for America, leaving the port of Liverpool on the ship “The New World” which was commanded by Capt. Knight. They arrived in New York on September 21, 1848, and went immediately to Valley Falls, R. I., where he worked at his trade for two years. Of this union were born three children, viz; Leander F., George S. and Bruce. Leander, who married Miss Sarah Jacobus, lives in Knox County, and has six children. George S. resides in Kansas and is a farmer at Northfield, Bruce is at home. The devoted wife and mother passed away in 1885, at the age of sixty years.
In Rhode Island Mr. Bennett worked longer hours (thirteen or fourteen per day) than ever before. The close confinement and change of climate was a severe tax upon him, and realizing that he must change his abode or lose his health permanently he determined to go to California. He paid out $150 at New York for a ticket to San Francisco and started on his long journey, leaving his wife in Rhode Island. Arriving in California he started for the mines in Calaveras County and buying a pick and pan, went down to the river, where some men were at work in a shaft. He put on the red shirt, the usual habiliment of the miner, and inquired for work. Soon the proprietor came around and asked him if he understood “cay’ ooting.” He replied that he guessed he did, and was immediately set to work in the mine.
When evening came, the “boss” came around, paid him $5 for the day’s work, and asked him come again the next day. He continued to work in this shaft some time. Everything was new and was worked with an eye to the profits alone. The mine not being properly timbered, accidents by the caving in of the earth were of daily occurrence. One day while they were gone to dinner a big rock fell in and completely stopped the passage way to the time, and thus ended operations at that place. A few days later at a public place he fell in with a man who offered him $80 and board to go with him. He accepted and after working for him some time, conceived the idea of forming a mining company on the Calaveras River. They took up a claim which h proved very valuable, realizing a profit which ranged from $190 to $80 per hand weekly. The water failing, they took up another claim and continued it for four years.
In the spring of 1856 our subject came home, more than $3,000 ahead. Ever since boyhood, when he read of the wild horses of Illinois, he had his mind made up that he wanted to be in the meadows, open fields, and about the horses and cattle of Illinois, in other words that he wanted to be a farmer. He now resolved to remove West, and starting from his Eastern home, arrived here about September, 1856. He immediately purchased one hundred and thirty acres of fine land, later, in 1868, buying eighty acres more. Not only was he prospered financially, but his health was greatly improved and he became quite rugged and strong. He became naturalized in California and has voted for Pierce, John C. Fremont, Lincoln, Grant, Hayes, Garfield, Blaine and Harrison.
In addition to his possessions here, Mr. Bennett owns fourteen hundred and sixteen acres of land in Clay County, Tex., which is rapidly increasing in value. In 188 he made a trip back to England and noted with a great deal of interest the improvements in that country. He noticed that England was greatly improved as a manufacturing country and saw more beauty in his native land than he ever noticed before. It will be seen from the above that he has an extensive and varied history, and through judicious investments he has become wealthy, although he started in life very poor.