Thomas Moore Benson was born in Port Hope, Ontario on November 25th, 1833, son of Thomas Benson (1804-1857) and Alicia Maria Lowe (1805-1877). He had three siblings: Mary Benson (1829-1908); Anne Maria Benson (1830-1906); and James Binley Benson (1832-1876). Thomas Benson married Mary Edith McCaul in April 1866. McCaul was the daughter of Rex John McCaul who was the President of the University College in Toronto. Mary Edith died in December 1870. Benson later remarried Laura Abigail Fuller, daughter of Bishop Fuller of Niagara, on June 25th, 1874, with whom he had 4 daughters.
Benson began his legal career by winning 3 scholarships in law. He studied in the offices of Sir Adam Wilson and Mr. Justice Paterson. He was called to the bar in 1859 and began a practice in Port Hope. In 1871, 1876 and 1881 he had been elected a Bencher of the Law Society. He was also part of the Queen’s Counsel and served his country by actively enrolling companies of volunteers at Port Hope at the time of the Trent affair in 1861. He also held a commission of a company of infantry then raised, under command of Lieutenant-Colonel Williams, M.P. His company served as a provisional battalion in the 1866 Fenian Raids. On September 19th, 1882, Benson was appointed Deputy Judge of the County Court of the United Counties of Northumberland and Durham. He also became junior judge of the same court and local judge of the high Court of Justice of Ontario on November 3rd, 1882. On November 8th, 1887 he became senior judge of the United Counties. Benson served as a trustee and member of the Council of Wycliffe College, Toronto and was a Director of Bishop Ridley College in St. Catharines and began that position in the first year Ridley opened. He was also a member of the Port Hope High school Board for over 40 years. In 1883 he was elected by the Diocesan Synod as a lay member of the Chapter of St. Alban’s Cathedral in Toronto.
Thomas Moore Benson died on Wednesday, December 15th, 1915 in Port Hope, Ontario at age 83. His funeral service was preached by Reverend J.A. Elliott.