The first time that I ever saw Joseph Bennett was in October, 1866, when Charles Hughes and he played a four-handed match against John Roberts (sen.) and W. Dufton, for £200 aside. In those days money matches were genuine, and the stakes deposited for them actually changed hands. As I have already dealt with this match when writing of Hughes, I need only say that Hughes and Bennett, who were in receipt of a start of 200 in 1,000, won very easily by 344. Hughes did the bulk of the scoring, but the credit of the victory was mainly due to his partner, who played in front of the champion, and cramped his game.
Bennett was the senior of both Roberts, Junr., and W. Cook, having been born about the year 1844, and he was playing in public before either of his two great rivals had made his debut. No man ever had a greater knowledge of the game, and he had acquired this so early that he was only eighteen when he was engaged at Leeds to play and teach.
During his stay there he played his first important match. This was with "Billy" Moss, the game was 1,000 up for £100 a-side, and Bennett won by upwards of 500. Soon after this he returned to London, and his first match there was with Dufton.
Bennett and Cook married two sisters, and the first Mrs. Bennett played a very good game at billiards. She died quite young, and I never had the pleasure of meeting her. I cannot call to mind the occasion when Bennett was first introduced to me, but our casual acquaintance gradually ripened into a firm friendship, in which there was never the slightest break. In early life his health was indifferent, and his nervous and highly-strung temperament was by no means in his favour.
His quick and irascible temper was somewhat trying to his friends, but it gradually mellowed with age, and much could be forgiven to one who was in every way a gentleman.
After Roberts, jun., had avenged his father's defeat by Cook, by beating the latter for the championship in April, 1870, and had also disposed of the pretensions of Alfred Bowles about six weeks later, he was challenged by Bennett. The pair met on November 28, and a very curious game took place.
It was a rather dreary one to watch, as it lasted 4 hours and 45 minutes. Bennett closed up the game in remorseless fashion, and as Roberts, instead of playing in his customary free style, was injudicious enough to adopt his opponent's tactics, Bennett fairly wore him down, and beat an undoubtedly better player than himself by 95 points. At the earliest opportunity—on January 30, 1871—Roberts took his revenge in no uncertain fashion, for in a match which only lasted 3 hours 22 minutes, Bennett was easily defeated by 363 points. In the May of that year Cook regained the championship by beating Roberts by the very narrow margin of 15 points.
Bennett did not, however, leave his brother-in-law in peaceable possession of his title for longer than was absolutely necessary, and they met in November. The challenger tried the same tactics that had once proved successful against Roberts, for the game was drawn out for 4 hours 23 minutes, but, at the finish, Cook struggled home a victor by 58 points.