Lieut RN.

Benjamin was made Lt of the Leopard 1662,on Chirstmas eve 1663 Samuel Pepys met Benjamin in the company of Capt Beech and his wife on board the Leopard,which was to depart to convoy a fleet to the mediterranen and the levant,Sam said in his diary that Benjamin was ,”I find a pretty but very talking man”what one would expect on christmas eve.made Lt in the Jersey 1665.In the following year he was made Commander of the Pearl on the 19th of Febuary 1666/7 being at that time convoy to a fleet of colliers bound from Newcastle to London ,he fell in with a Dutch man of war of some fifty guns and three hundred men;the Pearl being a small frigate carring only twenty six guns .The action between them commenced about eleven in the morning, and continued,without interuption,several hours;there being so dead a calm that the Little Viceroy frigate,who was also of the convoy,could not come to her assistance,A breez springing up when night approached,affording the Victoy an opportunity of succouring her comfort, the Dutch ship though still superior in force,made all the sail he could to get off,after having lost a numberof his men and recieved considerable damage to his hull,Our ships continued the chase for a short time:but the Pearl being a good deal dissabled,Capt Carteret thought it more prudent to quit her and return to his charge.
Nothing futher appears to be relative to this officer,who ti seems to have acted ,on this occasion with the greatest bravery and prudence,till the year 1671,when he was made a Lieutenant of the Crown,1672 Benjamin was move to the Saint George;1673 to the Triumph.He was disscharged from his ship by command of the Duke of York,Lord High Admiral,but on what particular account ,or reason,accusation,does not appear.