John Thomas Barber Beaumont (1774–1841) was a British army officer, painter, author, and

philanthropist Philanthropy is a form of altruism that consists of "private initiatives, for the Public good (economics), public good, focusing on quality of life". Philanthropy contrasts with business initiatives, which are private initiatives for private goo ...

. He was successful in the insurance business, and projected a settlement in South America. Barber Beaumont

Life

Born John Thomas Barber on 21 December 1774 in the parish of

St Marylebone Marylebone (usually , also , ) is a district in the West End of London, in the City of Westminster. Oxford Street, Europe's busiest shopping street, forms its southern boundary. An ancient parish and latterly a metropolitan borough, it merge ...

, London, he assumed in 1812, for unknown reasons, the additional name of Beaumont (which was retained by his descendants) and was often known as "Barber Beaumont".

Artist

An accomplished painter, Barber Beaumont focused on

history painting History painting is a genre in painting defined by its subject matter rather than any artistic style or specific period. History paintings depict a moment in a narrative story, most often (but not exclusively) Greek and Roman mythology and Bible ...

and

miniature painting Miniature painting may refer to: * Miniature (illuminated manuscript), a small illustration used to decorate an illuminated manuscript * Persian miniature, a small painting on paper in the Persian tradition, for a book or album * Ottoman miniature, ...

. He had his works displayed at the

Royal Academy of Arts The Royal Academy of Arts (RA) is an art institution based in Burlington House on Piccadilly in London. Founded in 1768, it has a unique position as an independent, privately funded institution led by eminent artists and architects. Its purpo ...

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

and was appointed miniature painter to the

Duke of Clarence Duke of Clarence is a substantive title which has been traditionally awarded to junior members of the British Royal Family. All three creations were in the Peerage of England. The title was first granted to Lionel of Antwerp, the second son ...

, the future king William IV of

Great Britain Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European island and the ninth-largest island in the world. It is ...

. His pupils included Henry Thomas Alken. David Collins Cardon

Rifle corps

In 1803, when

Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...

threatened to invade England, Beaumont raised a rifle corps named

The Duke of Cumberland's Sharp Shooters The 9th (County of London) Battalion, London Regiment (Queen Victoria's Rifles) was a Territorial Army infantry battalion of the British Army. The London Regiment was formed in 1908 in order to regiment the various Volunteer Force battalions i ...

. His troops were reported to be such accurate shots that on one occasion he held a target in

Hyde Park Hyde Park may refer to: Places England * Hyde Park, London, a Royal Park in Central London * Hyde Park, Leeds, an inner-city area of north-west Leeds * Hyde Park, Sheffield, district of Sheffield * Hyde Park, in Hyde, Greater Manchester Austra ...

while the corps fired at it from a distance of 150 yards. In 1835 the corps changed its name to Royal Victoria Rifle Club and then later became Queen Victoria's Rifles.

In business

Beaumont established in 1806 the Provident Institution and Savings Bank in

Covent Garden Covent Garden is a district in London, on the eastern fringes of the West End, between St Martin's Lane and Drury Lane. It is associated with the former fruit-and-vegetable market in the central square, now a popular shopping and tourist si ...

. In 1807 he founded the

County Fire Office The County Fire Office was an English insurance business founded in 1807 and acquired by the Alliance Assurance in 1906. Throughout this period it was run by three generations of the Barber Beaumont family. History For all but the last few months ...

and the Provident Life insurance office. In 1816–8 he took on

Thomas Bignold Thomas Bignold (1761–1835) was an English businessman. He was the founder of Norwich Union, now known as Aviva plc, one of the United Kingdom's largest insurance businesses. Career Born in Westerham, Kent, Thomas Bignold worked as an exciseman ...

of Norwich Union in a costly publicity war. Beaumont was a supporter of Caroline of Brunswick in her long-running dispute with

George IV George IV (George Augustus Frederick; 12 August 1762 – 26 June 1830) was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and King of Hanover from the death of his father, King George III, on 29 January 1820, until his own death ten y ...

, and had the County Fire office in

Regent Street Regent Street is a major shopping street in the West End of London. It is named after George, the Prince Regent (later George IV) and was laid out under the direction of the architect John Nash and James Burton. It runs from Waterloo Place ...

decorated with lamps to celebrate her tactical victory over the royal divorce bill in 1820. He resisted a fraudulent claim made on the fire company in 1823 by Thomas Thurtell, and ultimately secured the committal of Thurtell and associates to

Newgate Prison Newgate Prison was a prison at the corner of Newgate Street and Old Bailey Street just inside the City of London, England, originally at the site of Newgate, a gate in the Roman London Wall. Built in the 12th century and demolished in 1904, t ...

John Thurtell John Thurtell (21 December 1794 – 9 January 1824) was an English sports promoter, amateur boxer, Royal Marine officer and convicted murderer. Early life Thurtell was the eldest son of Thomas Thurtell, who later served as Mayor of Norwich in 182 ...

, the brother of Thomas, took up the quarrel, and made an attempt to murder Beaumont, which failed. Beaumont also took an active part in the exposure of a fraudulent insurance office, the West Middlesex, writing a letter to ''

The Times ''The Times'' is a British daily national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its current name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its sister paper ''The Sunday Times'' (fou ...

'' about it in 1839. Beaumont, an investor in South America and supporter of its independence from colonial rule, knew

Bernardino Rivadavia Bernardino de la Trinidad González Rivadavia (May 20, 1780 – September 2, 1845) was the first President of Argentina, then called the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata, from February 8, 1826 to June 27, 1827. He was educated at th ...

, during his stay in London, and set up the Rio de La Plata Agricultural Association, with shares held also by

Rudolph Ackermann Rudolph Ackermann (20 April 1764 in Schneeberg, Electorate of Saxony – 30 March 1834 in Finchley, London) was an Anglo-German bookseller, inventor, lithographer, publisher and businessman. Biography He attended the Latin school in Stollberg ...

. In 1825 British emigrants sailed to what is now Argentina, settling at Entre Ríos and San Pedro. The Cisplatine War, between the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata and the

Empire of Brazil The Empire of Brazil was a 19th-century state that broadly comprised the territories which form modern Brazil and (until 1828) Uruguay. Its government was a representative parliamentary constitutional monarchy under the rule of Emperors Dom Pe ...

, intervened to make further settlement and even communication difficult. The troubled affairs of the intended colony were described in an 1828 book ''Travels in Buenos Ayres'' written by John Augustus Barber Beaumont, son of Barber Beaumont, who had tried to help the remaining colonists. In 1825 Beaumont fought against the Board of Stamps, which charged his company with defrauding the Inland Revenue, and came off victorious. In 1835 he founded the Provident Institution or Bank for Savings in London's

district.

Death

Beaumont was a Fellow of the

Society of Antiquaries of London A society is a group of individuals involved in persistent social interaction, or a large social group sharing the same spatial or social territory, typically subject to the same political authority and dominant cultural expectations. Societ ...

, and of the

Geological Society The Geological Society of London, known commonly as the Geological Society, is a learned society based in the United Kingdom. It is the oldest national geological society in the world and the largest in Europe with more than 12,000 Fellows. Fe ...

. He died on 15 May 1841 at his residence in Regent Street.'' Gentleman's Magazine'', vol. 170, pp. 96–8
Google Books

Works

In 1802 Beaumont published an illustrated ''Tour throughout South Wales and Monmouthshire''. In 1803 he wrote articles on sharpshooters and defence; and set up a periodical, the ''

Weekly Register The ''Weekly Register'' (also called the ''Niles Weekly Register'' and ''Niles' Register'') was a national magazine published in Baltimore, Maryland by Hezekiah Niles from 1811 to 1848. The most widely circulated magazine of its time, the ''Regis ...

''.

In 1816 he published an essay on ''Provident or Parish Banks''; and in 1821 an ''Essay on Criminal Jurisprudence''.

Legacy

In 1839–40 Beaumont founded the Beaumont Philosophical Institution, in Beaumont Square in Mile End, E1, in London's Borough of Tower Hamlets. The Square was part of the Beaumont Estate, a housing development, and the Institution was on the north-west corner of the square. It was created for the welfare and entertainment of people in the neighbourhood. The opening was on 29 October 1840, with a

temperance Temperance may refer to: Moderation *Temperance movement, movement to reduce the amount of alcohol consumed *Temperance (virtue), habitual moderation in the indulgence of a natural appetite or passion Culture *Temperance (group), Canadian danc ...

meeting led by Philip Henry Stanhope, 4th Earl Stanhope. The Institution comprised a museum, reading-room, and chapel. When Beaumont died in 1841 he left £13,000 for the maintenance of the institute. In 1844 the museum offered

geology Geology () is a branch of natural science concerned with Earth and other astronomical objects, the features or rocks of which it is composed, and the processes by which they change over time. Modern geology significantly overlaps all other Ear ...

mineralogy Mineralogy is a subject of geology specializing in the scientific study of the chemistry, crystal structure, and physical (including optical) properties of minerals and mineralized artifacts. Specific studies within mineralogy include the proces ...

, and

conchology Conchology () is the study of mollusc shells. Conchology is one aspect of malacology, the study of molluscs; however, malacology is the study of molluscs as whole organisms, whereas conchology is confined to the study of their shells. It includ ...

, and there were singing classes and concerts. Initially the chapel was used for broad-minded services, where the ministers were

Philip Harwood Philip Harwood (1809 – 10 December 1887) was an English journalist and Unitarian minister, known as the editor of the '' Saturday Review''. Life He was born in Bristol, and when young started work in a solicitor's office. After serving out his ...

, and Thomas Wood of the

Brixton Brixton is a district in south London, part of the London Borough of Lambeth, England. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London. Brixton experienced a rapid rise in population during the 19th ce ...

Unitarian congregation, and using a liturgy by Robert Fellowes. By 1851 the "moral lectures" required by the founder for Sunday mornings had been transferred to weekday evenings, and the income of £400 per annum went mainly on concerts. The Institution was administered by the Beaumont Trust: the initial trustees were Fellowes with Henry Churchill,

John Elliotson John Elliotson (29 October 1791 – 29 July 1868), M.D. (Edinburgh, 1810), M.D.(Oxford, 1821), F.R.C.P.(London, 1822), F.R.S. (1829), professor of the principles and practice of medicine at University College London (1832), senior physician to ...

, Alexander Henderson,

Charles Hennell Charles Christian Hennell (30 March 1809 – 2 September 1850) was an English merchant, known as a Unitarian apologist for his work ''An Inquiry concerning the Origin of Christianity''. Life Hennell was born in Manchester on 30 March 1809, the f ...

, and Henry B. Kerr. In its original form it closed down in 1879. Its successor, the People's Palace, was opened in 1887; it was built by the Trust on the Mile End Road site of the old Bancroft's School, under the influence of

Walter Besant Sir Walter Besant (14 August 1836 – 9 June 1901) was an English novelist and historian. William Henry Besant was his brother, and another brother, Frank, was the husband of Annie Besant. Early life and education The son of wine merchant Will ...

, and to a design by

Edward Robert Robson Edward Robert Robson FRIBA FSA FSI (2 March 1836 – 19 January 1917) was an English architect famous for the progressive spirit of his London state-funded school buildings of the 1870s and early 1880s. Born in Durham, he was the elder son of Ro ...

. It later came under the control of East London College. In 1931 fire damage necessitated the construction of the New People's Palace on an adjacent site; it was opened in 1937. Part of the original construction survives as the

Queens' Building The Queens' Building is a Grade II listed building in Mile End in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. Originally opened in 1887 as an educational and cultural venue for the East End of London, known as the People's Palace, it now serves as one ...

. In the longer term the Institution was one of the organisations leading up to the founding of Queen Mary, University of London, which now has a Barber Beaumont Chair of Humanities, currently occupied by

Quentin Skinner Quentin Robert Duthie Skinner (born 26 November 1940) is a British intellectual historian. He is regarded as one of the founders of the Cambridge School of the history of political thought. He has won numerous prizes for his work, including th ...

.Queen Mary official page, ''Professor Quentin Skinner, FBA Barber Beaumont Professor of the Humanities''

Family

Beaumont's descendants include the ruling family of Sark. One of Beaumont's grandsons was

William Spencer Beaumont Captain William Spencer Beaumont (29 May 1848''England, Select Births and Christenings, 1538-1975'' – 2 August 1926) was a British army officer and a member of the London County Council. Beaumont was the grandson of John Thomas Barber Beaumont, ...

, who served in the

14th King's Hussars The 14th King's Hussars was a cavalry regiment in the British Army, first raised in 1715. It saw service for two centuries, including the First World War, before being amalgamated with the 20th Hussars to form the 14th/20th King's Hussars in 19 ...

. In 1887 he published a private account of his grandfather's life, ''A Brief Account of the Beaumont Trust, and its founder, J. T. B. Beaumont''. Beaumont's great grandson was

Dudley Beaumont Dudley John Beaumont (1877 – 24 November 1918) was a British Army officer and painter. He was the first husband of Sibyl Hathaway, 21st Seigneur of Sark, and grandfather of her successor, Michael Beaumont. Life Beaumont was the son of Will ...

, who married

Sibyl Collings Dame Sibyl Mary Hathaway ( Collings, formerly Beaumont; 13 January 1884 – 14 July 1974) was Dame of Sark from 1927 until her death in 1974. Her 47-year rule over Sark, in the Channel Islands, spanned the reigns of four monarchs: George V, Ed ...

, later Dame of Sark. Beaumont's great-great-great grandson is

Christopher Beaumont Christopher Beaumont (born 1961) is an Australian still life painter. His paintings are in many institutional, corporate, and private collections. Early life and education Christopher Beaumont was born in Melbourne in 1961.PDF

Queen Mary page, ''The People's Palace''
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Barber Beaumont, John Thomas 18th-century English painters English male painters 19th-century English painters British philanthropists Volunteer Force officers Fellows of the Society of Antiquaries of London 1774 births 1841 deaths 19th-century painters of historical subjects 19th-century English male artists British Army officers Military personnel from London 18th-century English male artists