George Bennet Memorial In General Cemetery

The George Bennet memorial is a monument located in the General Cemetery, dating from around 1850. It is made of ashlar sandstone and features an inset marble plaque with a relief sculpture. The monument has a tapered pedestal that rises from a square stepped base and supports a chamfered plinth, topped with a cross gabled cap. The north, east, and west faces of the monument are inscribed, and it includes a decayed relief sculpture of a male figure leaning against a globe on a stand. This memorial commemorates George Bennett, who died in 1841 and was a founder of the Sheffield Sunday School movement. Between 1821 and 1829, he traveled extensively with the Reverend Daniel Tyerman as a representative of the London Missionary Society, visiting settlements in the Pacific Islands, Australia, India, and South Africa, covering approximately 90,000 miles. The monument is situated on the main axis of the original General Cemetery in Sharrow, at the base of the steps leading up to the Old Chapel, contributing to a cohesive group of memorials.