Dudley Beaumont facts for kids

Dudley John Beaumont (born 1877 – died 24 November 1918) was a British Army officer and a painter. He was the first husband of Sibyl Hathaway, who was the 21st Seigneur of Sark (which means she was the ruler of the island of Sark). He was also the grandfather of her successor, Michael Beaumont.

Early Life and Family

Dudley Beaumont came from a family of soldiers. His father, William Spencer Beaumont, and his great-grandfather, John Thomas Barber Beaumont, were both officers in the British Army.

Dudley met Sibyl Collings when he was painting her portrait. Sibyl was the daughter of William Frederick Collings, who was the Seigneur of Sark at the time. Dudley and Sibyl fell in love, but Sibyl's father strongly disagreed with their relationship. Despite his objections, Dudley and Sibyl ran away to get married.

They had seven children together:

• Bridget Amice Beaumont (1902–1948)
• Francis William Lionel Beaumont (1903–1941), who was the father of Michael Beaumont
• Cyril John Astley Beaumont (1905–1973)
• Basil Ian Beaumont (1908–1909)
• Douce Alianore Daphne Beaumont (1910–1967)
• Richard Vyvyan Dudley Beaumont (born 1915)
• Jehanne Rosemary Ernestine Beaumont (1919–1988)

Sibyl Collings wrote a lot about her life with Dudley in her book published in 1961.

Military Service

Dudley Beaumont first joined the British Army as a second lieutenant on 5 August 1905. This was a part-time role in the 2nd Volunteer Battalion of the Gloucestershire Regiment. He left this role on 24 March 1908.

When First World War started in 1914, Dudley joined the 2/5 Battalion Gloucestershire Regiment again. By August 1915, he was a temporary lieutenant. He was then moved to the General List to serve with the West African Frontier Force (WAFF).

In May 1916, he was transferred back to the Glosters, still as a temporary lieutenant. Later, in June 1916, he moved to a different group, the 36th Battalion of the Royal Fusiliers. He left his military role on 19 July 1917 because he was not well.

Some family stories about Dudley's military rank are a bit different from official records. For example, when his son got married in 1924, Dudley's rank was listed as captain. Also, his wife wrote that in 1918, Dudley was serving in France when the Spanish flu pandemic began. He was then sent to London for leave, which was unfortunately when the flu was at its worst in the city.

His Final Years

Dudley Beaumont sadly died from the Spanish flu on 24 November 1918. He was 41 years old. He is buried in Brookwood Cemetery in Brookwood, Surrey.