The Ripon Hornblower

I was born and raised and still live in New Westminster in British Columbia Canada - part of Metro Vancouver.   Also known as 'The Royal City', it's the only city named by Queen Victoria after her favourite city.  My paternal Great-grandparents left Leeds for Vancouver, Canada about a hundred years ago.  The original Bensons left Whitby for the Ripon area to flee the plague in 1348. They settled around Ripon, Summerbridge, Dacre and Pateley Bridge. Christopher Benson built the Crown Inn (still standing) at Pateley Bridge. The Bensons were “foresters (loggers) who cleared the land for Fountains Abbey. One Thomas Benson was “Wakeman” at Ripon. Another Thomas Benson was friends with Charles Dodgson ( Lewis Carol) whose father was Minister of Ripon Cathedral. Young Tommy’s father (also Thomas Benson) was the local “Hatter” and believed to have been the inspiration for the “Mad Hatter” as most hatters of the times were mentally unbalanced from using mercury to cure the leather for top hats. The Bensons lived at “Low Hall” for more than 500 years (Dacre maybe. Somewhere near Ripon).