Richard Benyon De Beauvoir
Encyclopedia
Richard Benyon De Beauvoir (1769 – 1854) MP
was a 19th century British
landowner, philanthropist and High Sheriff of Berkshire
.
on 28 April 1769, the son of Richard Benyon of Gidea Hall
in Essex
and his wife, Hannah the eldest daughter of Sir Edward Hulse, Bart, of Breamore House
in Hampshire
. Richard Benyon Senior was the son of Richard Benyon, the Governor of Fort St George
and his wife, Mary the daughter of Francis Tyssen of Balones House in Hackney
and widow of Powlett Wrighte of Englefield House in Berkshire
, a grandson of Sir Nathan Wrighte, Lord Keeper of the Great Seal
.
in Essex, from whom he inherited very large property, both in estates and in the funds, he assumed the name of Richard De Beauvoir.
In 1824 he purchased the Culford
Estate, near Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, for £230,000, including the timber, from Louisa, Marchioness Cornwallis, widow of Charles, 2nd Marquis Cornwallis. The 11000 acres (44.5 km²) estate also included the parishes of Culford, Ingham, Timworth, West Stow and Wordwell. He was reputed to be worth over 7 millions. His land agent was Robert Todd and his head gardener was William Armstrong and these two men dealt with day-to-day work on the estate, particularly when Mr Benyon was not in residence. New flint and brick estate workers' cottages were under construction at Culford, as can be seen in letters between Richard Benyon de Beauvoir and Robert Todd. The dwellings won an award for their sensible design; they still stand along Main Road, Culford, today, surrounded by their large gardens. In letters dated 19 April and 6 May 1825 Todd writes that the Armstrongs have a troublesome marriage; "she has experienced not only insult but blows" and, in the later letter, "P.S. Armstrong and his wife are parted. She left Culford last Tuesday, is in lodgings in Bury at present."
(MP) for Pontefract
from 1802 to 1806, and for Wallingford
during two parliaments, from 1806 to 1812. He was a Justice of the Peace
and Deputy Lieutenant for the county of Berkshire
. He was High Sheriff of Berkshire
in 1816. When the Royal Berkshire Hospital
was founded at Reading
, Mr. Benyon contributed the huge sum of £5,000 and, by his liberality, aided materially in the formation of that invaluable charity. A ward in the hospital was subsequently named after him. He was considered by far the richest commoner in Berkshire.
in Berkshire. This lady died on the 29 October 1822. As they had no children, when Richard died on 22 March 1854, his estates were inherited by his nephew, Richard Fellowes
, the son of to William Henry Fellowes
of Ramsey Abbey
in Huntingdonshire
, who also took on the name of Benyon.
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
was a 19th century British
British people
The British are citizens of the United Kingdom, of the Isle of Man, any of the Channel Islands, or of any of the British overseas territories, and their descendants...
landowner, philanthropist and High Sheriff of Berkshire
High Sheriff of Berkshire
The High Sheriff of Berkshire, in common with other counties, was originally the King's representative on taxation upholding the law in Saxon times. The word Sheriff evolved from 'shire-reeve'....
.
Background
He was born Richard Benyon in WestminsterWestminster
Westminster is an area of central London, within the City of Westminster, England. It lies on the north bank of the River Thames, southwest of the City of London and southwest of Charing Cross...
on 28 April 1769, the son of Richard Benyon of Gidea Hall
Gidea Hall
Gidea Hall was a manor house, located in Gidea Park, the historic parish and Royal liberty of Havering-atte-Bower, whose former area today forms the north eastern extremity of Greater London, England....
in Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
and his wife, Hannah the eldest daughter of Sir Edward Hulse, Bart, of Breamore House
Breamore House
Breamore House is an Elizabethan manor house noted for its fine collection of paintings and furniture and situated in Breamore, just north of Fordingbridge, Hampshire, England.Breamore House was completed in 1583 by the Dodington family...
in Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
. Richard Benyon Senior was the son of Richard Benyon, the Governor of Fort St George
Fort St George
Fort St George is the name of the first English fortress in India, founded in 1639 at the coastal city of Madras, the modern city of Chennai. The construction of the Fort provided the impetus for further settlements and trading activity, in what was originally a no man's land...
and his wife, Mary the daughter of Francis Tyssen of Balones House in Hackney
London Borough of Hackney
The London Borough of Hackney is a London borough of North/North East London, and forms part of inner London. The local authority is Hackney London Borough Council....
and widow of Powlett Wrighte of Englefield House in Berkshire
Berkshire
Berkshire is a historic county in the South of England. It is also often referred to as the Royal County of Berkshire because of the presence of the royal residence of Windsor Castle in the county; this usage, which dates to the 19th century at least, was recognised by the Queen in 1957, and...
, a grandson of Sir Nathan Wrighte, Lord Keeper of the Great Seal
Lord Keeper of the Great Seal
The Lord Keeper of the Great Seal of England, and later of Great Britain, was formerly an officer of the English Crown charged with physical custody of the Great Seal of England. This evolved into one of the Great Officers of State....
.
Estates and names
Richard Benyon succeeded to his father's estates in 1796. In 1814, after succeeding to the estates of his half-uncle Powlett Wrighte of Englefield House (who had died in 1779) he assumed the name of Richard Powlett-Wrighte; and, in 1822, after the death of his distant relative, the Rev. Peter De Beauvoir, Rector of DavenhamDavenham
Davenham is a rural village and civil parish approximately south of the town of Northwich, part of the Borough of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire in England. It has a population of 5,655. The village is close to the A556 and A533 roads and both the River Dane and...
in Essex, from whom he inherited very large property, both in estates and in the funds, he assumed the name of Richard De Beauvoir.
In 1824 he purchased the Culford
Culford
Culford is a small village about north of Bury St Edmunds in the English county of Suffolk. The villageis based around a straight road called "The Street" and there are also some smaller residential areas in Culford, like Benyon gardens, a complex of small lanes...
Estate, near Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, for £230,000, including the timber, from Louisa, Marchioness Cornwallis, widow of Charles, 2nd Marquis Cornwallis. The 11000 acres (44.5 km²) estate also included the parishes of Culford, Ingham, Timworth, West Stow and Wordwell. He was reputed to be worth over 7 millions. His land agent was Robert Todd and his head gardener was William Armstrong and these two men dealt with day-to-day work on the estate, particularly when Mr Benyon was not in residence. New flint and brick estate workers' cottages were under construction at Culford, as can be seen in letters between Richard Benyon de Beauvoir and Robert Todd. The dwellings won an award for their sensible design; they still stand along Main Road, Culford, today, surrounded by their large gardens. In letters dated 19 April and 6 May 1825 Todd writes that the Armstrongs have a troublesome marriage; "she has experienced not only insult but blows" and, in the later letter, "P.S. Armstrong and his wife are parted. She left Culford last Tuesday, is in lodgings in Bury at present."
Offices and charitable works
Richard Benyon De Beauvoir was a Member of ParliamentMember of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
(MP) for Pontefract
Pontefract (UK Parliament constituency)
Pontefract was an English parliamentary constituency centred on the town of Pontefract in the West Riding of Yorkshire, which returned two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons briefly in the 13th century and again from 1621 until 1885, and one member from 1885 to 1974.-In the unreformed...
from 1802 to 1806, and for Wallingford
Wallingford (UK Parliament constituency)
Wallingford was a constituency in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.It was a parliamentary borough created in 1295, centred on the market town Wallingford in Berkshire . It used to return two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons; this was cut to one in 1832, and...
during two parliaments, from 1806 to 1812. He was a Justice of the Peace
Justice of the Peace
A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...
and Deputy Lieutenant for the county of Berkshire
Lord Lieutenant of Berkshire
This is a list of people who have served as Lord Lieutenant of Berkshire. Since 1689, all Lords Lieutenant have also been Custos Rotulorum of Berkshire.-Lord Lieutenants of Berkshire:*Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset 1551 – 22 January 1552...
. He was High Sheriff of Berkshire
High Sheriff of Berkshire
The High Sheriff of Berkshire, in common with other counties, was originally the King's representative on taxation upholding the law in Saxon times. The word Sheriff evolved from 'shire-reeve'....
in 1816. When the Royal Berkshire Hospital
Royal Berkshire Hospital
The Royal Berkshire Hospital is a National Health Service hospital in the town of Reading in the English county of Berkshire. It provides acute hospital services to the residents of the western and central portions of Berkshire, and is managed by the Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust.The...
was founded at Reading
Reading, Berkshire
Reading is a large town and unitary authority area in England. It is located in the Thames Valley at the confluence of the River Thames and River Kennet, and on both the Great Western Main Line railway and the M4 motorway, some west of London....
, Mr. Benyon contributed the huge sum of £5,000 and, by his liberality, aided materially in the formation of that invaluable charity. A ward in the hospital was subsequently named after him. He was considered by far the richest commoner in Berkshire.
Family
He married, on 27 September 1797, Elizabeth the only daughter of Sir Francis Sykes, Bart, of Basildon ParkBasildon Park
Basildon Park is a country house situated 3 kilometres south of Goring-on-Thames and Streatley in Berkshire, between the villages of Upper Basildon and Lower Basildon. It is owned by the National Trust and is a Grade I listed building...
in Berkshire. This lady died on the 29 October 1822. As they had no children, when Richard died on 22 March 1854, his estates were inherited by his nephew, Richard Fellowes
Richard Fellowes Benyon
Richard Fellowes Benyon , born Richard Fellowes, was a British Conservative politician and civil servant....
, the son of to William Henry Fellowes
William Henry Fellowes
William Henry Fellowes , of Ramsey Abbey in Huntingdonshire and Haverland Hall in Norfolk, was a British Member of Parliament....
of Ramsey Abbey
Ramsey Abbey
Ramsey Abbey is a former Benedictine abbey located in Ramsey, Cambridgeshire, England, southeast of Peterborough and north of Huntingdon, UK.-History:...
in Huntingdonshire
Huntingdonshire
Huntingdonshire is a local government district of Cambridgeshire, covering the area around Huntingdon. Traditionally it is a county in its own right...
, who also took on the name of Benyon.