BENETT

benett, etheldred (1776-1845), one of the earliest of english women geologists, the second daughter of thomas benett, of pyt house near tisbury, was born in 1776. later she resided at norton house, near warminster, in wiltshire, and for more than a quarter of a century devoted herself to collecting and studying the fossils of her native county. she contributed "a catalogue of the organic remains of the county of wilts" to sir r.c. hoare's _county history_, and a limited number of copies of this work were printed as a separate volume (1831) and privately distributed. she died on the 11th of january 1845.