ABSTRACT
William Bennett had been born in London in 1804 to a Quaker family involved in the tea trade. In 1828, he married Elizabeth Trusted, a teacher of the poor, who later authored of a number of religious books for the Society of Friends. Bennett too, proved to be kind and respectful when dealing with the Irish poor. The involvement of the Quakers in providing aid during the Famine was widely praised, both at the time and subsequently. In the spring of 1847, Bennett arrived in Ireland, accompanied by his eldest son, with the intention of 'touring the worst-hit areas'. Unlike a number of other visitors who came merely to observe, Bennett came to distribute relief, in this case, 'small seed'. Rather than focus on providing immediate relief, Bennett chose to use his resources to help the poor become more self-sufficient.
