Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 03.djvu/465

Beacon wise, in 1787, ‘Mrs. Siddons and John Kemble in the Dagger Scene in Macbeth,’ of which the great tragic actress wrote, ‘My brother's head is the finest I have ever seen, and the likest of the two.’ Several of Beach's portraits have been engraved in mezzotint by Dickinson, Valentine Green, Houston, and John Jones.

[Gent. Mag. 1806, ii. 1252; Redgrave's Dictionary of Artists, 1878.]  BEACON. [See .]  BEACONSFIELD, [See .]  BEADLE, JOHN (d. 1667), author of the 'Journal or Diary of a Thankful Christian. Presented in some Meditations upon Numbers xxxiii. 2. By J[ohn] B[eadle], Master of Arts, and Minister of the Gospel at Barnstone in Essex, 1656,' matriculated at the university of Cambridge on 8 July 1613. He was first rector of Little Leighs, in which capacity he signed a petition to Laud in favour of Thomas Hooker, afterwards a famous New England divine. He was presented by Laud to the rectory of Barnstone in May 1632, at the recommendation of Samuel Collins, who describes him as 'a young man' of a 'conformable way.' In Laud's account of his ' Province for 1633'there occurs the following entry: 'I did likewise convent Mr. John Beedle, rector of Barnstone in Essex, for omitting some part of the divine service and refusing conformity. But upon his submission and promise of reformation I dismissed him with a canonicnl admonition.' Later, in 1638,another entry shows that Laud had an eye upon him. In Arthur Wilson's 'Autobiography' (see Desiderata Curiosa) there is this entry under 21 July 1644: 'Mr. Beedle, of Barnstone, preached at Leez [Leighs]. His text was Numbers xxxiii. 2, insisting upon this, that every christian ought to keep a record of his own actions and ways. This made me run back to the beginning of my life, assisted by my memories and some small notes, wherein I have given a true, though a meane, delineation of eight and forty years progress in the world.' This shows that Beadle had his delightful book then in embryo.

Beadle was one of the 'classis' for the county of Essex. He was also one of the signatories to t he historical' Essex Test imony.' In 1650 he is returned as ' an able preacher.' On 25 April 1656, as appears by a manuscript entry on the exemplar in the British Museum, he published his 'Journal or Diary of a Thankful Christian.' It is dedicated to Robert, earl of Warwick, and to the countess. When the Act of Uniformity was passed in 1662, he elected to remain in his rectory. He died in 1667. The following entry is in the parish register: 'Beginning at the east end and north side lye interred the body of Mr. John Bedle 30 years rector of the parish, buried 11 May 1667.' His widow survived him many years, being buried 14 July 1676. There are entries of seven children of theirs baptised between 1632 and 1646.

[Communications from Rev. R. A. Toke, M.A., Barnstone; David's Annals of Evangelical Nonconformity in Essex (1863), pp. 346-8, and authorities and references therein; Laud's Tryals and Troubles in Anglo-Cath. edit, of Laud's Works; Baker's Notes on Calamy.] A. R. G.

 BEADON, CECIL (1816–1881), lieutenant-governor of Bengal, was the youngest son of Richard Beadon, and grandson of Richard Beadon, D.D., bishop of Bath and Wells [q. v.]. His mother was a sister of the first Lord Heytesbury. He was educated at Eton and at Shrewsbury, and at the age of eighteen was presented with an appointment to the Bengal civil service, which had been placed by the court of directors at the disposal of Lord Heytesbury, upon his nomination to the post of governor-general of India, a nomination which was shortly afterwards cancelled on the return of the whig government to office. Reaching India in 1836, Beadon spent the earlier years of his service in the usual district offices held by junior civil servants, and was serving as magistrate of Murshidabad, when in 1843 he was appointed undersecretary to the government of Bengal. From that time his advancement was very rapid. After filling several posts at the presidency in connection with the revenue administration, he was selected in 1850 by the Marquis of Dalhousie to represent the Bengal presidency on a commission which had been appointed to inquire into the Indian postal system, and which resulted in the establishment of a uniform postage in that country, analogous to the English penny postage. II© subsequently held in succession the important posts of secretary to the government of Bengal, secretary to the government of India in the home department, foreign secretary, member of the council of the governor-general, and finally that of lieutenant-governor of Bengal.

Beadon's career was eminently successful up to the last five years of his service. Three successive governors-general, Lord Hardinge, Lord Dalhousie, and Lord Canning, entertained the highest opinion of his judgment