E.T. Beaumont and his book "The Beaumonts in History"

The full title is "The Beaumonts in History AD 850-1850."
The author was Edward Thomas Beaumont.

His father owned a Draper's business in Oxford.

ETB was the author also of a book on ancient memorial brasses. He published the Beaumont book privately in about 1929, and died a couple of years later, aged about 80. Here he is from his photograph in the book:-

I still have the copy of the book that my grandfather presumably subscribed for at first publication. It is in excellent condition and still has its advertisement "flyer."

The text of this book is easily readable on the internet and it is unfortunate that in so many places, it seems to be referred to as if it were an authoritative work. It isn't.

It is a remarkable work in many ways but contains numerous errors. It is also quite saturated with snobbery: everyone a high achiever; every wife an heiress; no black sheep allowed!

Use with caution and always check sources.

(A note on ETB himself:- Though I can't be sure without trawling through the book, I don't think he says anything in it about his own background. It seems to me that his father was another Edward Beaumont 1818-1861, the owner of a draper's business at Oxford, and the maiden name of his mother Elizabeth was Thomas. His grandfather was Thomas Beaumont c.1781-1848, who came from Herefordshire but ended his days in Cheltenham. ETB married Emily Maria Crow and they had four children of whom the youngest, George E Beaumont, was an eminent doctor).

(May 2017)