John Beaumont

Who is John Beaumont?

John Beaumont was an English soldier at the time of the Glorious Revolution and politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1685 and 1695.

Beaumont was born at Burton Lincolnshire, the son of Sapcote Beaumont, 2nd Viscount Beaumont of Swords and his wife Bridget Monson. He was educated at school at Market Bosworth and was admitted at Christ's College, Cambridge aged 17 on 3 November 1653. He attended King Charles II in exile and was commissioned a captain in Our Holland Regiment, becoming Lieutenant-Colonel by 1685.

In 1685 Beaumont was elected Member of Parliament (MP) for Nottingham and held the seat to 1689.

In 1688 Beaumont's regiment, was marched to Portsmouth under the Duke of Berwick. Beaumont was one of the officers involved in Portsmouth Captains affair when they refused to accept Irish recruits into the regiment against King James instructions for all regiments to accept a quota of Irish troopers. On 10 September 1688 the officers were brought before a council of war and stripped of their rank.

Beaumont joined William of Orange at Torbay and on 31 December 1688 and was rewarded with promotion to colonel of the regiment.