Samuel Beale (4 June 1803 – 11 September 1874) was a

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

Liberal Party The Liberal Party is any of many political parties around the world. The meaning of ''liberal'' varies around the world, ranging from liberal conservatism on the right to social liberalism on the left. __TOC__ Active liberal parties This is a li ...

politician, banker and industrialist.

Early life

Beale was born in

Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands in England. It is the second-largest city in the United Kingdom with a population of 1.145 million in the city proper, 2.92 million in the West ...

in 1803 to William and Sarah and, in 1823, married Emma Butcher, daughter of Unitarian minister

Edmund Butcher Edmund Butcher (28 April 1757 – 14 April 1822) was an English people, English Christian Unitarianism, Unitarian Minister (Christianity), minister. Early life Butcher was born on 28 April 1757, at Colchester. The only son of an unsuccessful b ...

. At some point this marriage ended, and he remarried to a Mary. He had at least two sons, William Lansdowne (born 1828–29) and Arthur, and two daughters. He was also the uncle of William Beale, a barrister and fellow Liberal politician.Andrew Rowley, Beale family in ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', OUP online, 2004-12 In early life he was a glass and lead merchant before, in 1836, founded the Birmingham and Midland Bank. He also became Director of Union Bank UK. In 1844, he became Chairman of the

Midland Railway The Midland Railway (MR) was a railway company in the United Kingdom from 1844. The Midland was one of the largest railway companies in Britain in the early 20th century, and the largest employer in Derby, where it had its headquarters. It am ...

, a post he held for 20 years, and in 1849 a

Justice of the Peace A justice of the peace (JP) is a judicial officer of a lower or ''puisne'' court, elected or appointed by means of a commission ( letters patent) to keep the peace. In past centuries the term commissioner of the peace was often used with the sa ...

for Birmingham. In 1853, he was an ironmaster and partner in the

Park Gate Iron and Steel Company The Park Gate Iron and Steel Company was a British company that smelted iron ore and turned it into rolled steel and semi-finished casting products. Its works was at Parkgate, South Yorkshire on a triangular site bounded on two sides by the main ...

Political career

Beale started his career in politics in 1841 when he was appointed as Mayor of Birmingham, and became one of the town's first councillors. Beale was elected MP for

Derby Derby ( ) is a city and unitary authority area in Derbyshire, England. It lies on the banks of the River Derwent in the south of Derbyshire, which is in the East Midlands Region. It was traditionally the county town of Derbyshire. Derby gai ...

1857 Events January–March * January 1 – The biggest Estonian newspaper, ''Postimees'', is established by Johann Voldemar Jannsen. * January 7 – The partly French-owned London General Omnibus Company begins operating. * Janua ...

and held the seat until

1865 Events January–March * January 4 – The New York Stock Exchange opens its first permanent headquarters at Broad Street (Manhattan), 10-12 Broad near Wall Street, in New York City. * January 13 – American Civil War : Sec ...

Unitarian activities

Beale was an active unitarian follower, becoming a Member of Church of the Messiah, Birmingham and vice-president of the

British and Foreign Unitarian Association The British and Foreign Unitarian Association was the major Unitarian body in Britain from 1825. The BFUA was founded as an amalgamation of three older societies: the Unitarian Book Society for literature (1791), The Unitarian Fund for mission wo ...

. During the 1857 general election, which he was contending, Beale attended a service despite being warned that he would lose if he did so.

References

External links

*
Beale of Drumlamford and Standen House, baronets
on the 'Landed families of Britain and Ireland' site {{DEFAULTSORT:Beale, Samuel Liberal Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies Lord Mayors of Birmingham, West Midlands People from Birmingham, West Midlands UK MPs 1857–1859 UK MPs 1859–1865 1803 births 1874 deaths