George Beaumont ( fl. 1800–1830) was a British nonconformist minister and controversialist of the Ebenezer Chapel, Norwich. He is known as an early

pacifist Pacifism is the opposition or resistance to war, militarism (including conscription and mandatory military service) or violence. Pacifists generally reject theories of Just War. The word ''pacifism'' was coined by the French peace campaign ...

writer.

Background

According to an 1836 gazetteer, the Ebenezer Chapel in

Norwich Norwich () is a cathedral city and district of Norfolk, England, of which it is the county town. Norwich is by the River Wensum, about north-east of London, north of Ipswich and east of Peterborough. As the seat of the See of Norwich, with ...

's Ber-Street was originally a Baptist meeting-house, and then was used by the

Methodist New Connexion The Methodist New Connexion, also known as Kilhamite Methodism, was a Protestant nonconformist church. It was formed in 1797 by secession from the Wesleyan Methodists, and merged in 1907 with the Bible Christian Church and the United Methodist F ...

. George Beaumont represented Norwich at the New Connexion conferences of 1813 and 1814. When Beaumont wrote ''The warrior's looking glass'' of 1808, British pacifists, outside of the

Society of Friends Quakers are people who belong to a historically Protestant Christian set of denominations known formally as the Religious Society of Friends. Members of these movements ("theFriends") are generally united by a belief in each human's abili ...

, were isolated. An article in the ''

Monthly Repository The ''Monthly Repository'' was a British monthly Unitarian periodical which ran between 1806 and 1838. In terms of editorial policy on theology, the ''Repository'' was largely concerned with rational dissent. Considered as a political journal, it ...

'' in 1809, taking a cue from the recent

abolition of the slave trade Abolitionism, or the abolitionist movement, is the movement to end slavery. In Western Europe and the Americas, abolitionism was a historic movement that sought to end the Atlantic slave trade and liberate the enslaved people. The British ...

of 1807, and

Thomas Clarkson Thomas Clarkson (28 March 1760 – 26 September 1846) was an English abolitionist, and a leading campaigner against the slave trade in the British Empire. He helped found The Society for Effecting the Abolition of the Slave Trade (also known ...

's 1808 book on it, speculated on the abolition of war (attribution by Ceadel of a letter from "J. H." is to John Holland (1766–1826)). Also in 1809, in the ''

Monthly Magazine ''The Monthly Magazine'' (1796–1843) of London began publication in February 1796. Contributors Richard Phillips was the publisher and a contributor on political issues. The editor for the first ten years was a literary jack-of-all-trades, Dr ...

'', "H. W." (

Henry Wansey Henry Wansey (10 August 1751 – 19 July 1827) was an English antiquary, who was by trade a clothier, but retired from business in middle life and devoted his leisure to travel, to literature, and to antiquarian research. Life Wansey was the son o ...

, of Unitarian views) called for a peace association.

David Bogue David Bogue (18 February 175025 October 1825) was a British nonconformist religious leader. Life He was born at Hallydown Farm, in the parish of Coldingham, Berwickshire, Scotland, the son of John Bogue, farmer, and his wife, Margaret Swanston. ...

's "first clear call to form an organization on a pacifist basis" came in 1813. Beaumont was a subscriber to the

Society for the Promotion of Permanent and Universal Peace The Peace Society, International Peace Society or London Peace Society originally known as the Society for the Promotion of Permanent and Universal Peace, was a pioneering British pacifist organisation that was active from 1816 until the 1930s. Hi ...

in 1817.

Works

*''Fixed stars, or, An analyzation and refutation of astrology : the principles of this science being plainly laid open, and their absurdity and wickedness demonstrated : to which is added, the testimonies of many learned men against the science of astrology'' (1803) *''The warrior's looking glass: wherein is shewn from many high authorities, the trivial causes, cruel nature, direful effects and anti-Christian spirit and practice of war'' (1808). According to van der Linden, the idea of a "peace society" is first mooted in Beaumont's appendix to the selections in this pamphlet. *''The beggar's complaint, against extortions, corn factors, and against all oppressors'' (1809) *''The beggar's complaint, against rack-rent landlords, corn factors, great farmers, monopolizers, paper money makers, and war, and many other oppressors and oppressions: also, some observations on the conduct of the Luddites, in reference to the destruction of machinery &c. &c.'' (dated 1812). Beaumont, on his own account, had researched the story of

Ned Ludd Ned Ludd is the legendary person to whom the Luddites attributed the name of their movement. In 1779, Ludd is supposed to have broken two stocking frames in a fit of rage. When the "Luddites" emerged in the 1810s, his identity was appropriated ...

Nottinghamshire Nottinghamshire (; abbreviated Notts.) is a landlocked county in the East Midlands region of England, bordering South Yorkshire to the north-west, Lincolnshire to the east, Leicestershire to the south, and Derbyshire to the west. The traditi ...

, but lacked sympathy with machine-breaking. Despite the pamphlet's date, it comments on the executions at York of January 1813. Beaumont also observed the contentious nature of the

apprenticeship Apprenticeship is a system for training a new generation of practitioners of a Tradesman, trade or profession with on-the-job training and often some accompanying study (classroom work and reading). Apprenticeships can also enable practitioners ...

system. *''The helmet: or an answer to the eighth resolution of the minutes of the conference, which was held at Manchester, in Whitsun-week, 1813 : containing also, an analyzation of the public character and conduct of several calumniators and political apostates'' (1814) *''The breast-plate : or, a review of certain proceedings at the Hanley Conference, held in Whitsun-week, 1814, relative to Mr. M--t and others. Together with explanations and refutations of certain reports, slanders, &c.'' (1814) *''Anti-Swedenborg'' (1824); replied to by Thomas Goyder, as "Gulielmas", and then

Samuel Noble Samuel Noble (1779–1853) was an English engraver, and minister of the New Church (Swedenborgian). Life He was born in London on 4 March 1779, son of Edward Noble (died 1784), a bookseller and author of a work on perspective, and brother of ...

, for the New Jerusalem Church. *''The griper: being a letter to John Harvey, esq. in reply to his ungenerous animadversions, in a public assembly, in the old library room on 14 December, on my speech delivered at the weavers' meeting, on 7 December 1829, at the Pantheon, St. Stephen's Norwich; with many additional remarks, political, and theological, on the present state of our nation; and on general principles'' (1830)

Notes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Beaumont, George 1830 deaths Year of birth missing British Christian pacifists British pacifists English Dissenters