James Rea Benson (January 21, 1807 – March 18, 1885) was an Ontario businessman and political figure.

He represented Lincoln in the 1st Canadian Parliament as a Liberal-Conservative member until March 14, 1868, when he was named to the Senate of Canada for St.

He later moved to St. Catharines, where he was a hardware merchant,[2] also operating mills and ships in partnership with Thomas Rodman Merritt.

[2] His daughter Helen married Calvin Brown, the first mayor of St.

[5] His son Sir Frederick William Benson was a British Army officer.