George Beaumont's Executors and his children's Guardians, 1736-1741

Frances died in April 1735. George made a new Will in September. His executors - in the words of the will itself "Administrators" until his eldest son should be old enough to prove the Will - were to be William Wrightson Esq (of Cusworth near Doncaster), Rev. Thomas Hall (of Westborough, Lincs), Henry Wentworth, Gent (of Hoyland), and Rev. Thomas Cockshutt (Vicar of Cawthorne).

These four were to be guardians of the children - aged from 11 down to 8.

Here is the portrait of George. It will be for another post one day to consider the question of who painted it, when, and where:

George did die towards the end of January. This was before the change of calendar, so it was still 1735. In modern parlance he died in January 1736, though we could add "NS" for New Style.

An Inventory of his goods and possessions was promptly prepared. It was signed on 6th February by John Rimington, Jonathan Heron, John Archer, and John Green. John Green, who was George's servant and was left £5 by the will, continued to work for the family at Darton for several years. He provided horses to go to Nottingham in 1741, whilst on another occasion a messenger was paid 3d to go "to Darton to John Green to get him to go to Whitley for some linnen."

George junior's Accounts (Box 1.001) show that Henry Wentworth took charge of things but that he too died before the end of 1736. Mr Wrightson and Mr Cockshutt proved the Will as "testamentary tutors" in June 1737. Mr Cockshutt lived nearest. He was also very well acquainted with all the people involved, as George Beaumont had been, in financing the iron works locally.

But Mr Cockshutt was elderly and his own health was poor. He no doubt did his best. He arranged for the boys to have stays with some of the local gentry, and there were occasional visits to their uncle (their mother's younger brother) at Whitley, and to Nottingham, where the clergyman uncle Thomas Beaumont lived, and two aunts, Elizabeth Beaumont and Jane Smith.

Mr Cotton of Haigh sent word in December 1739 (the boys were then staying in his house) that they had "ye itch, for ye curing 'em of which he [Mr Cotton] supposes some speedy care will be taken by me [Mr Cockshutt] upon ye notice he has now given me of it. I know no better way than to send 'em to your House...." (Letter to John Margetson at Heath near Wakefield - in YAS DD/70/93/3).

Indeed the boys were now spending much of their time lodging with Mr Margetson at Heath and being educated there. Mr Margetson was really, the most hands-on guardian. A Mr Hyde was paid for schooling, and a Mr Randal for teaching French.

Then - two more deaths. Mr Cockshutt early in 1740 and Mr Margetson himself later that year!

Now, William Wrightson had been a friend of the Whitley Beaumonts for years, but I get the impression that his input was somewhat impersonal. Mr Hall perhaps was too far away. Anyway Mr Cockshutt's son (also a clergyman) sent everything to Mr Wrightson and thereafter the money side of things was now left to a lawyer in Barnsley called William Marsden.

One can only feel sorry for these children, wealthy though they were. Much of my knowledge comes from the Accounts, very correctly kept, detailing pocket money and the cost of things like new breeches, shoe-mending, and French books.

After Mr Margetson's death the boys spent more time at Nottingham. I am not sure if they both went to live there but I think George certainly did. Payments were made to the Revd Mr Beaumont there in autumn 1741 on behalf of both of them. Payments for George are detailed in the Account Book in this archive (Box 1.001), and for Thomas, in one now in Doncaster archives (DD/BW/T/3) which must have come from Mr Wrightson's house. Both of these were prepared by William Marsden.