Michael Beaumont, 22nd Seigneur Of Sark on:
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In 1974, Beaumont's grandmother died and he succeeded her as Seigneur of Sark. The new seigneur swore fealty to Queen Elizabeth in 1978, when she and the Duke of Edinburgh visited the island for the first time since his accession.
In 1990, a French nuclear physicist named André Gardes came to Sark to depose Beaumont and establish himself as seigneur, but this one-man "invasion" attempt failed.
During her 2001 visit, the Queen made the seigneur an Officer of the Order of the British Empire.
In 2008, Sark experienced a major change in the system of government. Beaumont remained the overlord of the island, but lost some of his feudal privileges. He did retain the privilege of being the only person on the island with the right to keep pigeons and an unspayed dog.
The first democratic elections on the island took place in December 2008. Beaumont appreciated the fact that it allowed his island to stay independent from Guernsey.Lost world: the last days of feudal Sark , This Britain , News , The Independent
Seigneur John Michael Beaumont (20 December 1927 – 3 July 2016) was the twenty-second
'_1937._The_National_Archives_(United_Kingdom).html" "title="d]">''Catalogue description for Document No. J 77/3752/4301. Divorce Court File: 4301. Appellant: Enid Corinne Beaumont. Respondent: Francis William Lionel C Beaumont. Type: Wife's petition for divorce [wd]
' 1937. The National Archives (United Kingdom)">The National Archives National archives are central archives maintained by countries. This article contains a list of national archives. Among its more important tasks are to ensure the accessibility and preservation of the information produced by governments, both ...
, Kew whom he subsequently married.
Beaumont's father and stepmother were killed on 4 May 1941, during the Liverpool Blitz, which left the 14-year-old Beaumont as heir to his grandmother.
Beaumont worked as a structural design engineer for the British Aircraft Corporation in Seigneur
''Seigneur'' is an originally feudal title in France before the Revolution, in New France and British North America until 1854, and in the Channel Islands to this day. A seigneur refers to the person or collective who owned a ''seigneurie'' (or ...
of Sark
Sark (french: link=no, Sercq, ; Sercquiais: or ) is a part of the Channel Islands in the southwestern English Channel, off the coast of Normandy, France. It is a royal fief, which forms part of the Bailiwick of Guernsey, with its own set of ...
in the Channel Islands
The Channel Islands ( nrf, Îles d'la Manche; french: îles Anglo-Normandes or ''îles de la Manche'') are an archipelago in the English Channel, off the French coast of Normandy. They include two Crown Dependencies: the Bailiwick of Jersey, ...
. He worked as a civil engineer before succeeding his paternal grandmother, Sibyl Hathaway
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, E ...
, the 21st Dame of Sark, in 1974. During his rule, Beaumont saw the loss of many feudal rights enjoyed by the seigneurs, and he was consequently often described as the "last feudal baron".
Family
Beaumont was the son of theRoyal Air Force
The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) an ...
officer and film producer Francis William Beaumont
Francis William Lionel Collings Beaumont (6 August 1903 – 4 May 1941), also known as F. W. L. C. Beaumont or “Buster" Beaumont, was the heir to the Seigneur of Sark, a Royal Air Force officer, film producer and the husband of actress Mary La ...
and his first wife, Enid Ripley. His paternal grandmother, Sibyl Hathaway
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, E ...
, ascended as the Dame of Sark six months before his birth.
Francis and Enid divorced in 1937 as a result of his adultery with an actress, Mary Lawson,''Catalogue_description_for_Document_No._J_77/3752/4301._Divorce_Court_File:_4301._Appellant:_Enid_Corinne_Beaumont._Respondent:_Francis_William_Lionel_C_Beaumont._Type:_Wife's_petition_for_divorce_[wd]'_1937._The_National_Archives_(United_Kingdom).html" "title="d]">''Catalogue description for Document No. J 77/3752/4301. Divorce Court File: 4301. Appellant: Enid Corinne Beaumont. Respondent: Francis William Lionel C Beaumont. Type: Wife's petition for divorce [wd]
' 1937. The National Archives (United Kingdom)">The National Archives National archives are central archives maintained by countries. This article contains a list of national archives. Among its more important tasks are to ensure the accessibility and preservation of the information produced by governments, both ...
Bristol
Bristol () is a city, ceremonial county and unitary authority in England. Situated on the River Avon, it is bordered by the ceremonial counties of Gloucestershire to the north and Somerset to the south. Bristol is the most populous city in ...
before moving to Shoreham-by-Sea
Shoreham-by-Sea (often shortened to Shoreham) is a coastal town and port in West Sussex, England.
The town is bordered to its north by the South Downs, to its west by the Adur Valley and to its south by the River Adur and Shoreham Beach on th ...
, where he worked on Beagle Aircraft. In 1956, Beaumont married Diana La Trobe-Bateman, and the couple had two sons, Christopher and Anthony.
Seigneurship
In 1974, Beaumont's grandmother died and he succeeded her as Seigneur of Sark. The new seigneur swore fealty to Queen Elizabeth in 1978, when she and the Duke of Edinburgh visited the island for the first time since his accession.
In 1990, a French nuclear physicist named André Gardes came to Sark to depose Beaumont and establish himself as seigneur, but this one-man "invasion" attempt failed.
During her 2001 visit, the Queen made the seigneur an Officer of the Order of the British Empire.
In 2008, Sark experienced a major change in the system of government. Beaumont remained the overlord of the island, but lost some of his feudal privileges. He did retain the privilege of being the only person on the island with the right to keep pigeons and an unspayed dog.
The first democratic elections on the island took place in December 2008. Beaumont appreciated the fact that it allowed his island to stay independent from Guernsey.Final years
Due to their poor health, the aging seigneur and his wife moved out ofLa Seigneurie
La Seigneurie is the traditional residence of the Seigneur of Sark. The Seigneur is the head of Sark in the Channel Islands.
Michael Beaumont, 22nd Seigneur of Sark
Seigneur John Michael Beaumont (20 December 1927 – 3 July 2016) was ...
, the traditional residence of the ruler of the island, to a more manageable cottage on their estate. In 2009, they agreed to allow David Synnott
David (; , "beloved one") (traditional spelling), , ''Dāwūd''; grc-koi, Δαυΐδ, Dauíd; la, Davidus, David; gez , ዳዊት, ''Dawit''; xcl, Դաւիթ, ''Dawitʿ''; cu, Давíдъ, ''Davidŭ''; possibly meaning "beloved one". w ...
and his wife to live in the Seigneurie for ten years—until the end of October 2019. The rent is paid through renovations, and Synnott said that the seigneur was "effectively making a large and generous donation to his successor who will benefit from the work".
Beaumont's heir, his son, Major Christopher Beaumont, lived and worked with his family in Britain and served as an officer in the Royal Engineers. In 2008, he told the Chief Pleas that he intended to move back to Sark upon inheriting the fief.
In 2011, the seigneur declared that he would never consider selling his fief. Beaumont died on 3 July 2016 and was succeeded by his eldest son, Christopher.
Beaumont's widow, Diana, died on 1 December 2016. She was eighty years old when she died, which was less than five months after Beaumont's death.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Beaumont, John Michael 1927 births 2016 deaths Officers of the Order of the British Empire Seigneurs of Sark Structural engineers English civil engineers