Modern English biography, volume 1 (of 4), A-H by Frederic Boase

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.