 Bennett married Agnes Willson in 1843 and the couple had three children, Alice, John and Juliet.When Bennett retired, he was noted to be boarding with Aimee Guilbert, a widow.She was, in fact, his long term mistress and bore him seven children; Lillie, Lionel, Violet, Rose, Horace, Gerald Munro and Douglas Thurlow, all of whom took their mother's surname.