Benjamin Petre (10 August 1672 – 22 December 1758) was an English Catholic prelate who served as Vicar Apostolic of the London District from 1734 until his death.
He was educated at the English College, Douai, and, after being admitted to the priesthood, became tutor to Lord Derwentwater, who was subsequently beheaded for treason.
Although the penal laws were no longer enforced with extreme rigor, the life of many Catholic priests was still a difficult one, especially in London.
[1] Petre believed that as vicar-apostolic of the London District, he had jurisdiction over all of British America.
When the Curia discovered there had been no formal designation, it forwarded the documents to Petre,[2] in January 1757.