Bennet Collection Scope Notes

The Bennet Collection houses the personal papers of the Bennet family. This collection, which dates from 1826 to approximately 1986, consists of letters, diary entries, photographs, memorabilia, genealogy notes, and an oration, providing insight into the lives of members of the Bennet family over several generations. Situated primarily in southern Georgia, and specifically Quitman, this collection documents the historical and geographic context in which the Bennets and their ancestors lived. Known creators include Oliver Winn Stevens (1812-1882), the Reverend William Baker Bennet (1827-1908), and Samuel Stevens Bennet (1873-1945). While this collection is in no way a comprehensive record of the Bennet family during the time period, it would be of interest to those researching the history of Quitman, Georgia, or the genealogy of the Bennet family.

The collection is arranged in eight folders. The “Early 1800s” folder consists of a description of a boat journey and near-drowning incident on the coast of Georgia in 1854, written by John Stevens and involving Oliver Winn Stevens, and his son Eddie. The “1826” folder contains memories penned by an unnamed employee of the Bank of the State of Georgia, describing his travels along the coast and eastern part of Georgia, including Savannah, Darien, Augusta, and Athens. The “1830s” folder is comprised of four letters written by Oliver Winn Stevens – three to Mary Anna Stevens, his fiancée, and one to her mother, Amarintha Munro Stevens – which date from December 1836 to March 1837. The “1848” folder is an oration delivered by William Baker Bennet in February 1848, at Mercer University, to the Phi Delta literary society, on the patronage of the arts. The “1887” folder contains a letter and poem written by William Baker Bennet to Hattie Stevens, regarding their friendship. The “Photographs” folder includes eight photographs, spanning from 1899 to approximately the mid- to late-1900s. Among those pictured are Louise Bennet, and brother Stanley Bennet, Jr., as young children, Mildred Bennet, and a photograph of Matthew Bennet III’s grave in Liberty County, Georgia. The “Long Family Genealogy” folder contains a letter from Samuel Stevens Bennet to his nephew Paul Hansell Bennet and wife, May Beck Bennet, dated circa 1939 to 1945. In it, Samuel shares memories of his childhood growing up in the house that Paul and May Beck now live with their daughters. “Long Family Genealogy” also includes handwritten notes on the genealogy of the Bennet family, spanning numerous generations, between 1623 and 1986. Finally, the “Recent Memorabilia” folder is comprised of memorabilia from various family members from approximately the late 1800s to 1985. It includes Monthly, Term, and Annual Reports for Mildred Bennet from Quitman High School (1919-1921), a memorial address for Reverend Edward Abiel Stevens, given in Burma in 1886, and a 1985 newspaper article on the restoration of the Bennet house in Quitman, Georgia.