Samuel Levy Bensusan
b 1872 d 1958
Samuel Levy Bensusan was born on 29 September
1872 at Dulwich, London where his father was a merchant dealing in
feathers.
The family were practicing orthodox Jews,
originating from Spain, who loved music which provided Samuel with a
lifelong love of music
During schooling he developed a skill in
writing which he was able to combine with his love of music becoming
a music/drama critic with several magazines including the
Illustrated London News and Vanity Fair.
Bensusan then began experimenting in writing
novels and in a move that was to change his life visited Eastern
Essex where he immediately fell in love with the countryside and the
people.
In 1899 he rented Moynes Farmhouse at
Asheldham which he used as a cottage to entertain friends he
immediately fell in love with the countryside and the people
The 1901 census shows Bensusan staying at the
Queens Head Public House at Bradwell on Sea where he no doubt saw
many people who were to be models for characters in his books
In 1904 published his first book called
Morocco which described journey through Morocco that he made.
Several other books followed and he continued
with newspaper articles and at one stage was editor for the Jewish
World.
In 1909 he married Marian Lallah Prichard
although there were to be no children from this marriage although
Bensusan is rumoured to have fathered a child during an affair a few
years earlier.
His love of rural life led to his appointment
as Press chief of the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries although
this lasted less than two years after Bensusan disagreed with the
Departmental policy on Corn Law and refused to promote a policy with
which he disagreed.
Bensusan then bought Mote Cottage which was
situated on the Blackwater estuary between the marshland villages of
St Lawrence and Bradwell not far from the Queens Head Public House.
As he grew older he moved to a house at Great
Easton, then to Langham and finally to a nursing home at St
Leonard's on Sea in Sussex where he died on 11 December 1958.
Although he wrote many books Bensusan is best
known for the 24 books and 6 plays that he wrote about the Rural
marshland area of Eastern Essex surrounding Mote Cottage.
In 1912 the first of these was Father William
which featured the local Rector who was to appear in many of the
books
These books used local dialect with simple
stories of the lives of the people who inhabited the area.
The real identities of these fictitious
characters and villages were an open secret although there appeared
to be no resentment with Bensusan even when shady practices were
described. Besusan became a well known and popular local character
especially when buying ale for the local men who provided the
inspiration for his characters.
Maychester was Bradwell on Sea , Market
Waldren was Maldon, Chenchester was Chelmsford and the Mudfords were
the villages of Tillingham, Asheldham and Southminster.
Some favourite characters include -
Solomon Woodpecker the farm labourer with an
equal liking for the Wheatsheaf and profound rural thoughts
Martha Ram - the unqualified village midwife
who hated modern medicine
Ephraim - The village carrier who was an
elder of the Peculiar People (strict evangelist)
Mrs Wospottle - The lady who had views to
share on everything
A recent quote from a Bensusan enthusiast
shows the effect that his simple stories have achieved
"I am cheered by
the notion that Solomon Woodpecker, Martha Ram and Mrs Wospottle
were well known and real living breathing Marshland people and
perhaps somewhere in a quiet churchyard Old Father William sleeps
peacefully wrapped in his red flannel cloak"
