For this series about funfairs featuring the families who run them, their traditions, rides and transport I am concentrating on those who frequent the fairgrounds in the South of England. We have already seen examples of those run by the Harris Brothers of Ashington and the Stevens family of Chertsey. In this article we are going to take a look at the fairs under the proprietorship of the Benson family from Dorking in Surrey who were, and still are, regular attendees at fairgrounds throughout Sussex, Surrey and South London.
Like a lot of fairground families Benson’s can trace their history back several generations. The head of the firm for many years was Mr Tom Benson senior who was married to Mary Marney, a person of note described as a colourful and grand lady. In his youth Tom had, amongst other attractions, a nut sheet, better known to readers as a coconut shy. This stayed as part of the show right up until the 1960s and we are told that Mary could still sometimes be seen at the ball box calling up the punters in her powerful voice, as she had done
