Mr Alfred William Bennett (24 June 1833–23 January 1902)

British botanist and publisher. The son of Quakers, he studied at the University of London gaining a BA with honours in chemistry and botany in 1853, MA in 1855 and bsc in 1868. After graduating Bennett spent a few years working as a tutor to the family of the banker Gurney Barclay, but gave this up after his marriage in 1858 to Katherine Richardson of Sunderland and set up his own publishing company. He continued his publishing career until 1868 when he became a lecturer in botany at Bedford College, University of London and St Thomas' Hospital, London. Bennett had an interest in the higher education of women and facilitated female students to attend Bedford College by opening his house to teach them. Bennett was a life-long believer in evolution. He was Vice-president of the Microscopical Society, 1892, 1899, and 1900; editor of the society’s journal, 1897-1902, and Fellow from 1879. He became a Fellow of the Linnaean Society in 1868 and their Vice-president, 1891-2. From 1870 to 1874 he was biological sub-editor for the journal Nature and was also botanical reviewer and writer for The Academy.