He is reported to have fought for the Royalist cause at the Battle of Cheriton (1644) and afterwards hid in a hollow oak tree behind the church, this tree was still known until recently as 'Sir Benjamin's Oak'.
According to reports, he engaged in combat for the Royalist cause during the Battle of Cheriton in 1644. After the battle, he took refuge in a hollow oak tree located behind the church, and this tree was famously known as 'Sir Benjamin's Oak'.