S. H. Benson

In 1875, he commanded the first cutter of that ship in an expedition up the Congo to punish pirates of that river who had looted the cargo of a vessel and murdered some of her crew.

In the following year he took part in the blockade of the coast of Dahomey, and in 1878 he was on the staff of the later John Edmund Commerell VC and was on board HMS Agincourt when that ship leading the lee line of Sir Geoffrey Hornby's fleet proceeded through the Dardanelles on the approach of the Russians to Constantinople.

After a peaceful spell with Admiral William Dowell at Cork he again joined Commodore Hewett in the first Egyptian campaign (1882) and on the occupation of Suez by the Naval Brigade he was placed in charge of the commissariat arrangements and was again mentioned in despatches, receiving the Egypt Medal and the Khedive's Star (Bronze).

He was only 29 when he was invalided home and after acting as secretary to various committees at the Admiralty, left the Navy altogether, never having completely recovered from the effects of the rigorous Egyptian climate.

[1] In 1885, he started, under the patronage of Lord Randolph Churchill, the Express Couriers Corps, which was the first boy messenger venture ever organized in London.

[2] Rather than competing with other houses as to who could buy and sell space on the lowest commissions, he charged a reasonable price and offered the advertiser service and advice in the conduct of his campaign.

1914 onwards In 1914 the company was taken over by the founder's son, Philip who had visited America to study new methods of psychological marketing and scientific advertising.

[4] S H Benson was the advertising agency that brought together the slogan, Guinness Is Good For You and illustrations by John Gilroy, their in-house artist.