He was born in the Tower of London and educated at Harrow School and Emmanuel College, Cambridge,[1] where he was a senior tutor for many years.
One of his pupils was John Fane, who appointed Bennet as his chaplain upon taking up the post of Lord Lieutenant of Ireland in 1790.
[2] He died in Montagu Square, London, and "His exertions while preaching a charity sermon at St Michael, Cornhill, exacerbated by a recent attack of gout, are supposed to have hastened his death."
[2] He was particularly interested in tracing the Roman roads of Britain, and Bishop Bennet Way is a horse-riding, walking and cycling route in Cheshire, England, named in honour of his surveys of the Roman roads of the area.
[3] His memorial in Cloyne Cathedral shows a slave holding a Bible and was created by James Heffernan.