The E.F.Benson Society was formed in 1985 and held its inaugural AGM at the Royal Festival Hall. It is run by its elected Officers and Executive Committee, but all members are actively encouraged to help in whatever way they can.

Over the years the Society has visited many places of Benson interest, including; Wellington College, Winchester, Cambridge, Horsted Keynes and Tremans, Marlborough and of course Rye. The latter it used to visit every year in July.

In 1990 the Society commemorated the fiftieth anniversary of E.F.Benson’s death, with a service in St. Mary’s, Rye and also a Dinner and Musical evening at Lambeth Palace. The latter being a Benson home.

In 2010 the Society celebrated its Silver Jubilee with a Concert in Rye Church to help raise monies for the restoration of the Benson West Window. This was an evening of Words and Music to celebrate Benson’s life, it being held on his 143rd birthday. Members of the Society had already given over £2,000 to the project and the Concert raised a further £1,800. The Friends of St. Mary’s co-ordinated the restoration work, which is now complete. The window is now secure for future generations.
Later in the year the Society was allowed an attended Evensong at St Paul’s Cathedral, a Benson place of worship, followed by dinner in the Guildhall.
In 2013 our President for over twenty years, Gwen Watkins, decided to retire having given devoted service to the Society in her series of Talks, research and books, and the Society were delighted and honoured to have the Rt Revd and Rt Hon Lord Williams of Oystermouth, become President. Lord Williams was Master of Magdalene College, Cambridge, having retired as Archbishop of Canterbury and is thus more than aware of the world in which the Bensons moved.

Each year in April the Society published its journal, the Dodo. This has articles on the Benson family and also some short stories, based on the famous Benson Tilling characters. The Dodo also reprints some of Benson’s essays and short stories. As a member you could write about an aspect of E.F.Benson that appealed to you, or a Benson related subject and send your article to the Editor of Dodo.

The Society has also published collections of essays by E.F.Benson, and also the biography of the family by Betty Askwith and a collection of essays about the family and their circle by our President, Gwen Watkins. In 2010 we published the unpublished biography of Mary Benson by Arthur Benson.

Most members of the Society came to an interest in E.F.Benson through Mapp & Lucia, and its activities reflect this. However, it did look at all aspects of E.F. Benson; his character, circle of friends, and his interesting life. Some events also looked at other members of the family and aimed to develop our knowledge of them. The Secretary led walks round the Benson sights in Rye during the summer  and also gave talks about E.F.Benson life and works. However, these have now come to a close.

The Society’s own publications, are available through Adams of Rye, (see Books for Sale).

Having celebrated nearly forty years, we felt this showed what an interest there is in Benson and also great enjoyment. However, the Society has no new members willing to come forward and take over the reins from those who have steered it through the years. This led to the Society at its 2024 AGM, deciding to end in 2025.