Modern English biography, volume 1 (of 4), A-H by Frederic Boase
1871. _Theatrical times i_, 129 (1847), _portrait_; _Illust.
2359 words | Chapter 96
sporting news ii_, 180 (1863), _portrait, v_. 133 (1866),
_portrait_.
BEDINGFELD, FELIX WILLIAM GEORGE RICHARD (_youngest son of Sir
Richard Bedingfeld, 5 Baronet 1767–1829_). _b._ 12 Aug. 1808;
crown comr. of Turk’s Island in the Bahamas 1842–49; barrister
L.I. 26 April 1849; master of supreme court of Trinidad 1849–54;
colonial sec. for and member of council of Mauritius 1860–68;
C.M.G. 1869. _d._ Pilgrim, Lymington, Hants. 7 Dec. 1884.
BEDINGFELD, SIR HENRY RICHARD PASTON, 6 Baronet. _b._ Oxburgh,
Norfolk 10 May 1800; succeeded 22 Nov. 1829. _d._ Oxburgh 4 Feb.
1862.
BEDSON, GEORGE. _b._ Sutton Coldfield, Warwick 3 Nov. 1820; manager
of business of Messrs. Johnson of Manchester 1851; manager of
Bradford iron works 1858 to death; initiated and perfected many
inventions in the iron and wire trades; propounded theory of
continuous brakes for railway trains about 1864; lived at Bradford
1858–72 and 1882 to death, and at Marple, Cheshire 1872–82. _d._
Bradford house, Manchester 12 Dec. 1884.
BEECH, REV. HUGH. _b._ Chesterton, Staffs. 3 June 1787; Wesleyan
minister 1811 to death, _d._ Cheedle, Staffs. 22 Feb. 1856. _The
good soldier, a memoir of Rev. Hugh Beech_ 1856.
BEECHAM, REV. JOHN. _b._ Barnoldby-le-Beck near Great Grimsby 1787;
became a Wesleyan preacher 1815; general secretary of Wesleyan
Missionary Society 1831 to death; pres. of Wesleyan conference
1850; author of _An essay on the constitution of Wesleyan
Methodism_ 1829, _3 ed._ 1851; _Ashantee and the Gold Coast_ 1841.
_d._ Canonbury, London 22 April 1856. _Wesleyan Meth. Mag. lxxix,
pt. 2_, 577–605 (1856).
BEECHEY, FREDERICK WILLIAM (_2 son of Sir Wm. Beechey R.A.
1753–1839_). _b._ 17 Feb. 1796; entered the navy 7 July 1806; went
with Sir John Franklin to Spitzbergen on his first expedition
1818; with Edward Parry in the Hecla 1819; helped to survey north
coast of Africa Nov. 1821 to July 1822; commanded the Blossom in
the Pacific 1825–28; captain 8 May 1827; surveyed coast of Ireland
1837–47; superintendent marine department of Board of Trade 1850
to death; aide de camp to the Queen 18 July 1851 to 11 Sep. 1854;
R.A. 11 Sep. 1854; F.R.G.S. 1833, pres. 1855 to death; F.R.S. 23
Dec. 1824, vice pres. 1854; author of _Narrative of a voyage to
the Pacific and Behring’s Strait 2 vols._ 1831; _A voyage of
discovery towards the north_ pole 1843. _d._ 8 Westbourne
crescent, Hyde Park, London 29 Nov. 1856. _Proceedings of Royal
Society viii_, 283–87 (1856).
BEECHEY, GEORGE D. (_brother of the preceding_). Portrait painter;
exhibited 24 portraits at the R.A. 1817 to 1832; went to Calcutta
about 1830; court painter and controller of the household to King
of Oudh. (_m._ an Indian Lady called Hinda, whose _portrait_ he
sent to the R.A. 1822). Supposed to have died in India 1856.
BEECHEY, HENRY WILLIAM (_brother of the preceding_). travelled with
Belzoni in Egypt 1816–17; examined and reported on antiquities of
the Cyrenaica for Colonial Office 1821–22; F.S.A. 1825; exhibited
a picture at the R.A. 1829, and another at British Institution
1838; emigrated to New Zealand 1855; wrote a memoir of Sir Joshua
Reynolds prefixed to his Literary works published in 2 vols. 1835
and reprinted 1852. Supposed to have died in New Zealand in or
about 1870.
BEECHING, JAMES. _b._ Bexhill near Hastings 1788; apprenticed to a
boat builder; boat builder at Great Yarmouth; introduced the
handsome build of fishing vessel now used there; invented the self
righting lifeboat for which he gained the prize of £105, 13 Aug.
1851 when 280 models were sent in from all parts of the world, his
boat slightly modified has served as the model for all the boats
of the Royal National Lifeboat institution. _d._ 7 June 1858.
_Rev. John Gilmore’s Storm warriors_ (1874) 32–47.
BEECROFT, GEORGE SKIRROW. _b._ Outwood house, Horsforth near Leeds
16 Nov. 1809; proprietor of Kirkstall forge near Leeds; M.P. for
Leeds 5 June 1857 to 11 Nov. 1868; seconded address of House of
Commons in reply to speech from the throne 3 Feb. 1859. _d._ 4
Gloucester terrace, Regent’s park, London 18 March 1869. _I.L.N.
xxxiv_, 189 (1859), _portrait_.
BEECROFT, JOHN. Explored the Niger and other rivers falling into the
Gulf of Guinea 1832 to death; governor of Fernando Po; consul
general for West Africa 1850. _d._ Clarence, West coast of Africa
10 June 1854.
BEER, JOHN (_eld. son of John Beer of Devonport, coal merchant_),
_b._ Devonport about Dec. 1806; solicitor at Devonport 1827 to
death; clerk to the Devonport comrs. 1838–82; an able advocate,
engaged in all the chief local trials; member of Devonport town
council many years and mayor 1849 and 1850; recorder of Saltash
1871 to death, _d._ 2 Albemarle villas, Stoke 14 April 1883.
BEER, JULIUS. _b._ Frankfort 1836; proprietor of _The Observer_
London weekly paper 1870 to death; F.R.G.S. 1870. _d._ Mentone 29
Feb. 1880 in 44 year. _bur._ Highgate cemetery 8 March. Personalty
sworn under £400,000 March 1880.
BEETE, ROBERT CROSBY. First puisne judge British Guiana 1853 to
Jany. 1869 when he retired on a pension. _d._ Charing Cross
hospital London 2 Nov. 1878 aged 68.
BEETON, SAMUEL ORCHART. Bookseller and publisher at 148 Fleet st.
London; published the first English edition of _Uncle Tom’s Cabin_
1852; went a voyage to America to present Mrs. Stowe with a
voluntary payment of £500; published _Beeton’s Christmas Annuals_
1860–65; sold his stock and copyrights for £1,900 to Ward, Lock
and Tyler Sep. 1866; a publisher again 1877 to death; author with
Doughty and Emerson of _The coming K._ 1872; _The Siliad_ 1873
_and Jon Duan_ 1874. _d._ Sudbrook park, Richmond, Surrey 6 June
1877 aged 46. _The law reports Equity cases xix_, 207–22 (1875).
BEEVOR, SIR THOMAS BRANTHWAYT, 3 Baronet, _b._ Old Buckenham,
Norfolk 7 April 1798; succeeded 10 Dec. 1820. _d._ Yarmouth 6
April 1879.
BEEVOR, SIR THOMAS, 4 Baronet. _b._ Hargham Norfolk 23 Aug. 1823;
ed. at Univ. coll. London; barrister L.I. 29 Jany. 1850; chairman
of Norwich Union life assurance society; succeeded 6 April 1879.
_d._ Hingham, Attleborough, Norfolk 18 Aug. 1885.
BEGBIE, JAMES, _b._ Edinburgh 18 Dec. 1799; ed. at high school and
Univ. of Edin.; M.D. 1821; F.R.C.S. Edin. 1822; F.R.C.P. Edin.
1847, pres. 1854–50; pres. of Medico Chirurgical Society 1850–52;
one of Her Majesty’s physicians in ordinary in Scotland 6 June
1853; author of _Contributions to practical medicine_ 1862, and of
many papers in medical journals. _d._ 10 Charlotte sq. Edinburgh
26 Aug. 1869. _Proc. of Royal Society of Edin. vii_, 2–6 (1872).
BEGBIE, JAMES WARBURTON (_2 son of the preceding_). _b._ 19 Nov.
1826; ed. at Edinburgh academy and univ., M.D. 1847, LLD. Aug.
1875; pres. of Royal Medical Society 1847–49; practised at
Edinburgh 1852; F.R.C.P. Edin. 1852; phys. to the Cholera hospital
1854; phys. to Royal Infirmary 1855–65, lectured on practice of
physic there 10 winter sessions 1855–65; had the largest
consulting physician’s practice in Scotland 1869 to death; author
of _A handy book of medical information and advice by a physician_
1860, _2 ed._ 1872; wrote 13 articles in _J. R. Reynolds’s System
of medicine 3 vols._ 1871 and many reviews and notices in
_Edinburgh Medical Journal_. _d._ 16 Great Stuart st. Edinburgh 25
Feb. 1876. _Selections from the works of the late J. W. Begbie,
edited by Dyce Duckworth, The New Sydenham Society London_ 1882,
_portrait_.
BEGG, REV. JAMES. _b._ Manse of New Monkland, Lanarkshire 31 Oct.
1808; ed. at Univ. of Glasgow, M.A.; licensed as a preacher June
1829; minister at Maxwelltown, Dumfries 18 May 1830; minister of
Middle parish church Paisley 1831, and of Liberton near Edin. 25
June 1835 to 5 July 1843 when he was declared no longer a minister
having joined in the Free Secession; minister of Newington Free
church near Edin. 1843 to death; sent by his church to Canada on
public duty 1844–45; moderator of Free general assembly 18 May
1865; a sum of £4,600 was presented to him by his friends 1875;
author of _Are you prepared to die_ 1845; _How to promote and
preserve the beauty of Edinburgh_ 1849; _A handbook of Popery_
1852; _The art of preaching_ 1863. _d._ George sq. Edinburgh 29
Sep. 1883. _Memoirs by Professor Thomas Smith_ (1885); _John
Smith’s Our Scottish clergy, 3 series_ (1851) 127–33.
BEHAN, THOMAS LAWRENCE. Connected with the _Hampshire Independent_;
on the staff of the _Observer_ and other London newspapers;
editor, manager, and publisher of the _London Gazette_ 1 Oct 1854
to death, _d._ Southampton 27 Aug. 1860 aged 66.
BEHNES, WILLIAM. _b._ London 1794; learnt drawing in Dublin; gained
3 silver medals at Royal Academy; a _portrait_ draughtsman in
London, afterwards a sculptor; executed busts of many of the most
eminent men of his time; executed statues of Lady Godiva 1844,
Europa 1848 and The startled nymph 1849; exhibited 215 sculptures
at the R.A. 1815–63; bankrupt on his own petition 25 Nov. 1861.
_d._ Middlesex hospital London 8 Jany. 1864. _Cornhill Mag. ix_,
688–701 (1864); _Lectures on art by Henry Weeks_ (1880) 294–317;
_W. B. Scott’s British school of sculpture_ (1871) 99–102.
BEHRENS, LOUIS. _b._ Hamburg 1801; joined his brother Jacob in
business as merchants at Bradford 1836; founded a business in
Manchester 1840; established it as a separate concern 1870. _d._
Southport 1 June 1884.
BEKE, CHARLES TILSTONE (_son of James Beck, of Hackney, London,
commissioner of sewers_). _b._ Stepney, London 10 Oct. 1800;
student at Lincoln’s Inn; changed spelling of his name from Beck
to Beke 1834; acting consul at Leipzig 1837–38; Ph. Doc. Univ. of
Tubingen 6 Aug. 1837; travelled in Abyssinia 1840–43 and 1865–66;
received gold medals of Royal Geographical Societies of London and
Paris 1845 and 1846; sec. to National Association for protection
of industry and capital throughout British empire 1849–53, when
association was dissolved; granted a civil list pension of £100 14
Dec. 1870; went to Palestine to determine position of Mount Sinai
Dec. 1873; F.S.A. 1835; author of _Origines Biblicæ_ 1834; _The
sources of the Nile_ 1860; _The British captives in Abyssinia_
1865; _The idol in Horeb_ 1871 and other books. _d._ Bromley, Kent
31 July 1874. _Summary of the late Dr. Beke’s published works and
of his inadequately requited public services By his widow_ 1876;
_Dictionary of national biography iv_, 138–41 (1885); _I.L.N.
lxv_, 140 (1874), _portrait_; _Graphic x_, 174 (1874), _portrait_.
BELCHER, SIR EDWARD (_2 son of Andrew Belcher, of Clarence lodge,
Roehampton, Surrey_). _b._ Nova Scotia 1799; entered navy 9 April
1812; one of original fellows of Royal Geog. Soc. 1830; sailed
round the world in H.M.S. Sulphur 1836–42; captain 6 May 1841;
engaged surveying in East Indies 1842–47; C.B. 14 Oct. 1841,
K.C.B. 13 March 1867; knighted by patent for his services in China
21 Jany. 1843; granted pension for wounds 13 March 1847; commanded
expedition in search of Sir John Franklin 10 Feb. 1852 to Oct.
1854; admiral 20 Oct. 1872; F.R.A.S. Dec. 1837; claimed to be the
inventor of water-tight bulkheads and compartments; granted a
Greenwich hospital pension of £150 per annum 7 Dec. 1874; author
of _A treatise on nautical surveying_ 1835; _Narrative of a voyage
round the world 2 vols._ 1843; _Narrative of the voyage of H.M.S.
Samarang 2 vols._ 1848; _Horatio Howard Brenton a naval novel 3
vols._ 1856; _The last of the Arctic voyages 2 vols._ 1855. (_m._
11 Sep. 1830 Diana dau. of George Jolliffe, captain H.E.I.C.S.)
_d._ 6 Melcombe place, Dorset sq. London 18 March 1877. _Army and
Navy mag. iv_, 1–5 (1882), _portrait_; _I.L.N. xxi_, 321 (1852),
_portrait, lxx_, 299 (1878), _portrait_; _Journal of Royal Geog.
Soc. xlvii_, 136–42 (1877); _Monthly notices of Royal Astron. Soc.
xxxviii_, 141–43 (1878); _Transactions of Instit. of naval
architects xi_, 12–19, 197–211 (1870).
BELCHER, REV. JOSEPH. _b._ Birmingham 5 April 1794; Baptist divine;
went to United States 1844; author of _Pastoral recollections_
1837; _The clergy of America_ 1849; _George Whitfield, a
biography_ 1860; said to have written more religious works than
any other author of the century. _d._ Philadelphia 10 July 1859.
BELCHER, THOMAS. _b._ St. James’s churchyard Bristol 14 April 1783;
went to London 1803; fought and beat Jack Ware in Tothill Fields,
Westminster 26 June 1804; beaten by Wm. Ryan at Willesden Green 30
Nov. 1804, but beat him near Chertsey 4 June 1805; beat Jack
O’Donnell at Shepperton 27 April 1805; fought Dutch Sam (Elias
Samuels) for 100 guineas at Moulsey Hurst 8 Feb. 1806, when
beaten; fought him again 20 July 1807, when fight was declared
drawn; beaten by him 21 Aug. 1807; beat Dogherty 14 April 1808,
Cropley 25 Oct. 1808, Farnborough 1 Feb. 1809, Silverthorne 6 June
1811; fought Dogherty again for 100 guineas on the Curragh of
Kildare 23 April 1813, when he won again; landlord of the Castle
Tavern Holborn 1814–28; one of the 18 pugilists selected by
Jackson to act with him as pages at coronation of George IV. in
Westminster Abbey 19 July 1821, one gold coronation medal was
given to the boxers which they raffled for, when Belcher won it
and held the trophy until his death. _d._ Peckham, _d._ of
apoplexy at 19 Trafalgar sq. Peckham, Surrey 9 Dec. 1854.
_Pugilistica by H. D. Miles i_, 153–66 (1880), _portrait_; _The
Fancy by An Operator i_, 297–300 (1826), _portrait_; _Every night
book_ (1827) 37–44; _Boxiana by P. Egan ii_, 28–45 (1818).
BELDAM, JOSEPH (_3 son of Wm. Beldam of Royston, Herts who d. 20
June 1827 aged 64_). _b._ 26 Dec. 1795; ed. at St Peter’s coll.
Cam.; barrister M.T. 12 May 1825; standing counsel for Anti
slavery party; F.S.A. 1 May 1856; author of _Il pastore incantato,
a drama_; _Pompeii and other poems by a student of the Middle
Temple_ 1823; _A summary of the laws peculiarly affecting
Protestant dissenters_ 1827; _Recollections of scenes and
institutions in Italy and the East 2 vols._ 1851. _d._ Royston 6
June 1866.
BELDHAM, WILLIAM. _b._ Wrecclesham near Farnham, Surrey 5 Feb. 1766;
professional cricketer; the “crack” batsman of England many years,
excelled also in bowling, fielding, wicket keeping and single
wicket playing; played in the Gentlemen versus Players match 1787
to 1821; the last surviving member of the once far famed Hambledon
cricket club; had 39 children, 28 by his first wife, all of whom
died young leaving no issue. _d._ Tilford near Farnham 20 Feb.
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