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Beaumont Calendar of State Papers (1547-80); Le Neve's Fasti Ecclesiæ Anglicanæ; Cooper's Annals of Cambridge, ii.; Bishop Fisher's Sermon for Lady Margaret, ed. Hymers, 68; Baker MSS. iii. 309, xxxii. 427, 430.]

BEAUMONT, ROBERT (fl. 1639), essayist, was a man of a retired life and solitary disposition, if his testimony of his own character, which he gives in the preface to his book, is to be believed. He is chiefly remarkable for his 'Missives,' which are, in plain speech, letters, and seem, from one part of Beaumont's epistle to the reader, to be his own composition, and from another part to be the composition of others. But the former intimation has the stronger support. It is evident they were written upon supposititious occasions. Letters, he says, should be like a well-furnished table, where every guest may eat of what dish he pleases. This reminds us of Bickerstaff's once-popular opera, ' Love in a Village : '
 * The world is a well-furnished table,
 * Where guests are promiscuously set.

The essays are fifteen in number, and are on the various parts of the body–the head, eye, nose, ear, tongue, and so forth. They are full of trope and figure, frequently with much force of application, quaint and sententious. The precise title of his work is as follows: 'Love's Missives to Virtue; with Essaies, Lond. printed by William Godbid, and are to be sold at the signe of the Star, in Little Britain, 1660.' Small 8vo, pp. 120.

[Watt's Bibl. Brit.; Lowndes's Bibliog. Man. i. 138; Sir E. Brydges' Restituta, 3, 278-81.]

 BEAUMONT, THOMAS WENTWORTH (1792–1848), politician, was the eldest son of Colonel Thomas Richard Beaumont, of Bretton Hall, Yorkshire, and Diana, daughter of Sir S. W. Blackett, baronet, of Hexham Abbey, and was born 15 Nov. 1792. He was educated at Eton, and in 1809 became a fellow commoner of St. John's College, Cambridge, where he graduated B.A. in 1813. In 1818 he succeeded his father in the representation of Northumberland, but in 1826 he lost the election, under circumstances which led to a duel on Bamburgh sands with Mr. Lambton, afterwards Earl of Durham. After representing the borough of Stafford for a short time he was in 1830 returned for Northumberland, and from the passing of the Reform Bill he continued to represent the southern division of the county until 1837. In early life he was a member of the Pitt Club, but from 1820 an advanced liberal and among the most energetic of politicians in the cause of reform. Acquiring, on the death of his mother in 1831, a large accession of property, he took also an active interest in the advancement of the fine arts, and by his munificent generosity won the attachment of many friends. He was one of the chief originators of the 'Westminster Review,' to which he is said to have contributed some articles. Some of his verses are contained in the 'Musæ Etonenses.' He died at Bournemouth 10 Dec. 1848.

[Annual Register, xci. 213; Latimer's Local Records of Remarkable Events in Northumberland and Durham (1857), p. 254.]

 BEAUMONT, WALERAN (1104–1166), warrior and feudal statesman, was the twin brother of Robert, earl of Leicester [see , 1104-1168] and the son of Robert, count of Meulan [see, d. 1118]. Born in 1104 ( xi. 2), and brought up with his brother, he succeeded at his father's death (1118) to his French fief of Meulan and his Norman fief of Beaumont (ib. xii. 33). In the struggle of 1119 he was faithful to Henry I (ib. xii. 14), probably because too young to rebel; but the movement in favour of William 'Clito' and Anjou (1112) was eagerly joined by him (ib. xii. 34). He was present at the conspiracy of Croix St. Leufroi, Sept. 1123 (ib.), and threw himself into Brionne (ib.) On Henry's approach, he withdrew to Beaumont (ib. xii. 36), whilst his castles of Brionne and Pont-Audemer were besieged and captured ( i. 180, 245, ) On the night of 24 March 1124 he relieved and re-victualled his tower of Watteville, but was intercepted two days later by Ranulf of Bayeux, near Bourg Thorolde, and taken prisoner with thirty of his knights ( xii. 39). Henry extorted from him the surrender of Beaumont, his only remaining castle, and kept him in close confinement for some five years (ib.) He was present with his brother at Henry's deathbed, 1 Dec. 1135 (ib. xiii. 19), but warmly espoused the cause of Stephen, and received the promise of his infant daughter in 1136 (ib. xiii. 22). Returning to Normandy after Easter, to assist his brother against Roger de Toesny, he captured him after prolonged warfare on 3 Oct. 1136 (ib. xiii. 27). Joined by Stephen the following spring, he hastened back with him to England in Dec. 1137, at the rumour of rebellion (ib. xiii. 32), but was again despatched by him to Normandy in May 1138, to suppress his opponents (ib. xiii. 37). Returning to England with his brother, before