{"id":20559,"date":"2022-08-09T14:46:29","date_gmt":"2022-08-09T13:46:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/marthamnorfolk.co.uk\/?page_id=20559"},"modified":"2026-07-23T11:48:17","modified_gmt":"2026-07-23T10:48:17","slug":"james-robert-bensley-1885-1972","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/marthamnorfolk.co.uk\/?page_id=20559","title":{"rendered":"James Robert Bensley (1885-1972) of Martham"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

James Robert Bensley (1885-1972)<\/strong> of Martham<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n

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James Robert Bensley was an unrivalled public servant to Martham and a prominent businessman trading as an animal feed supplier, miller & corn merchant. But he is probably best known for being the only person to run a coach company in the village, simply referred to by everyone as Bensley\u2019s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Known as Jimmy, he was born on 2nd<\/sup> January 1885 at Winterton-on-Sea, Norfolk as the eighth child of Edmund & Ann Bensley and he was baptised on 11th<\/sup> March that year at Winterton Methodist Chapel. He had nine siblings, namely: Sarah Elizabeth (b1869), James Robert (b1872), George Henry (b1874), Mary Ann (b1876), Charles Edmund (b1878 d1879), Charles Edmond (b1880), Margaret Virtue (b1883), Ann (b1887) and Henry Arthur also known as Ernie (b1889).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By the time he was six, and at school, James and his family had moved to 9 The Corner at Horsey. He left school when he was 10 and went to work at Horsey Hall where he was also listed in the 1901 census when he had turned 16 and was a groom and domestic worker. A few years earlier The Hall was owned by the very successful landowner and barrister Robert Rising<\/a><\/em>. Following his death in 1885 The Hall had passed into the hands of Harold Harmsworth who extended it with an East Wing so that he could bring his servants to live there. The Hall was just about the only house in the village large enough to have stables and domestic staff.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 1911 James was probably still normally living at home at 9 The Corner, Horsey but on the night of the census (2nd<\/sup> April) he was staying with the Jeary family<\/a><\/em> of butchers at White Street<\/a><\/em> in Martham and he worked a few doors away, at Pyman\u2019s General Store<\/a><\/em> as a grocer\u2019s assistant. He either already knew Clara Jeary or as a result of staying there the 18-year-old caught his eye as she would go on to become his future wife.  Clara was the daughter of Herbert & Georgianna Jeary.<\/a><\/em> James & Clara married, when he was 29 and she was 21, on 21st October 1914 at Martham Methodist Chapel<\/a><\/em> in Repps Road.<\/a><\/em> After they got married, they lived in North Walsham where he worked, up until he went into the army. On his return from war, they moved back to Martham where he set up in business using his wife\u2019s savings from her teaching post.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

James & Clara went on the have the following children who were all baptised at Martham Methodist Chapel<\/a><\/em>:-<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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  1. Joan Elizabeth Bensley (known as Betty) who was born on 16th<\/sup> October 1915. She married Richard Stokes. She died on 30th<\/sup> September 2012, aged 96.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Herbert James Bensley who was born on 19th<\/sup> May 1919. He married Doris Sylvia Grimes in 1944. He died on 3rd<\/sup> June 1995 at James Paget Hospital, Gorleston, Great Yarmouth having previously lived at Grove Close, Martham.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. Raymond John Bensley who was born on 11th<\/sup> January 1922 and died on 10th<\/sup> February 1987 at Grahamstown, Western District, Eastern Cape, South Africa.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  4. Molly Bensley who was born in 1924 and married Geoffrey Alexander in 1947. She died on 21st<\/sup> December 2019, aged 95. She was particularly well known for producing the Parish Magazine for many years and for her support of the Old Folks Club.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  5. Gladys Lilian Bensley (known as \u2018Shrimp) was born in 1928 at Great Yarmouth. She married Ivor Hugh Seeley in 1948 at Martham Methodist Chapel. She died in November 2025, aged 97.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n
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    Back row l to R: Herbert James; Joan Elizabeth (Betty); Raymond John (John). Front row l to R: Molly; James; Clara, Gladys (Shrimp).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

    Clara\u2019s father was a local parish councillor and he encouraged James to join Martham Parish Council<\/a><\/em>. James became a prolific community servant volunteering for all sorts of roles and took an active part in representing the village in over 25 different clubs and organisations over the whole of the rest of his life. Just some of his incredible voluntary work included the following:-<\/p>\n\n\n\n