Benjamin Hall Kennedy

Benjamin Hall Kennedy (6 November 1804 – 6 April 1889) was an English scholar and schoolmaster, known for his work in the teaching of the Latin language. He was an active supporter of Newnham College and Girton College as Cambridge University colleges for women.

He was born at Summer Hill, near Birmingham, the eldest son of Rann Kennedy (1772–1851), of a branch of the Ayrshire family which had settled in Staffordshire. Rann was a scholar and man of letters, several of whose sons rose to distinction. Benjamin was educated at Shrewsbury School, and St John's College, Cambridge. He took frequent part in Cambridge Union debates and became president in 1825. In 1824 he was elected a member of the Cambridge Conversazione Society, better known as the Cambridge Apostles, and was a winner of a Browne medal. He was elected Fellow and lecturer in Classics at St John's College in 1828 and took Holy Orders the following year. In 1830, he became an assistant master at Harrow.

In 1836, he returned to Shrewsbury as headmaster. He retained this post until 1866, the thirty years being marked by a long series of successes for his pupils, chiefly in Classics. When he retired from Shrewsbury, a large collection was made, and was used partly on new school buildings and partly on the founding of a Latin professorship at Cambridge. The first holders were both old pupils of Kennedy, H. A. J. Munro and J. E. B. Mayor.

In 1841 he became prebendary of Lichfield, and after leaving Shrewsbury he was Rector of West Felton, Shropshire, from 1866 to 1868.

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