Edward BENNETT (c.1558 - c.1664)

Called "The Merchant of London", he had an important part in the early 
history of the new Colony of Virginia. He established the first permanent 
plantation, called "Bennett's Welcome", in Virginia in 1622 and he and his 
family, at various times, were responsible for the importation of nearly 
800 immigrants. He was an Elder in the Puritan Church of Amsterdam, Hol-
land, known as the "Ancient Church". He was the owner of a fleet of 
vessels which carried new immigrants to the colony and tobacco to England. 
He was elected a free member of the London Company, which was responsible 
for founding and populating the Virginia Colony, and on 2 May 1621 was 
elected its Auditor. He served on all the important commissions of the 
London Company. He was also a primary in having Spanish tobacco banned 
from importation in England; to be replaced by only Virginia tobacco. He 
came to Virginia to live permanently after the death of his brother, 
Richard, in 1626. His plantation was then called "Warrosquoake", after a 
tribe of natives who also lived in what became Isle of Wight County. He 
represented his plantation in the House of Burgesses in 1628. He also 
maintained a home in London and remained active in various commercial 
ventures, including fisheries in New Foundland and trade with Spain, until 
his death sometime before 30 September 1664 when his land in Isle of Wight 
County was divided among his daughters.

Sources:
"Historical Southern Families", Vol. VI, pp.1-7; John Bennett Boddie, 1962.
1993.
"Genealogies of Virginia Families" [From Tyler's Quarterly HGM], Vol. I, 
p.542,
"The Parentage of James Day (died 1700) and wife Mary of Isle of Wight Co.,
VA.", Genealogical Publishing Co., Baltimore, MD., 1981.
"Genealogies of Virginia Families" [From the William and Mary College QHM],
Vol. 1, p. 270, "Edward Bennett of London and Virginia", Genealogical Pub-
lishing Co., Baltimore, MD., 1982.
"Seventeenth Century Isle of Wight County, Virginia", Vol. 1, Chap. XV, 
p.266; "The genealogical history of the Bennetts of Wivelscombe, Somerset 
and of Isle of Wight"; John Bennett Boddie, Chicago, IL., 1938.
"Virginia Historical Genealogies", p.213.