Michael Beaumont, 22nd Seigneur of Sark facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Michael Beaumont
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Beaumont in July 2012
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| Seigneur of Sark | |
| In office 14 July 1974 – 3 July 2016 |
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| Preceded by | Sibyl Hathaway |
| Succeeded by | Christopher Beaumont |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
John Michael Beaumont
20 December 1927 Kingdom of Egypt |
| Died | 3 July 2016 (aged 88) Sark, United Kingdom |
| Spouse | Diana La Trobe-Bateman |
| Children | Christopher Beaumont Anthony Beaumont |
| Parents | Francis William Beaumont Enid Ripley |
John Michael Beaumont (born 20 December 1927 – died 3 July 2016) was the twenty-second Seigneur of Sark. A Seigneur is like the ruler or lord of the island of Sark in the Channel Islands. Before becoming Seigneur, he worked as a civil engineer. He took over from his grandmother, Sibyl Hathaway, in 1974. During his time as Seigneur, many old traditions and special rights that the Seigneurs had for hundreds of years were changed. Because of this, he was often called the "last feudal baron", meaning he was the last ruler with such old-fashioned powers.
Early Life and Family
Michael Beaumont was born in 1927. His father was Francis William Beaumont, an officer in the Royal Air Force and a film producer. His mother was Enid Ripley. Michael's grandmother, Sibyl Hathaway, became the Dame of Sark just six months before he was born.
When Michael was 14 years old, his father and stepmother sadly died in 1941 during the Liverpool Blitz. This meant that Michael became the next in line to inherit the role of Seigneur from his grandmother.
Before becoming Seigneur, Michael worked as an engineer. He designed structures for the British Aircraft Corporation in Bristol. Later, he worked on planes for Beagle Aircraft in Shoreham-by-Sea. In 1956, Michael Beaumont married Diana La Trobe-Bateman. They had two sons together, named Christopher and Anthony.
Leading Sark: His Time as Seigneur
In 1974, Michael Beaumont's grandmother passed away. He then became the new Seigneur of Sark. In 1978, he officially swore loyalty to Queen Elizabeth. This happened when the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh visited Sark for the first time since Michael became Seigneur.
In 1990, a man from France named André Gardes tried to take over Sark and become the new Seigneur. He wanted to remove Michael Beaumont from his position. However, this "one-man invasion" attempt did not work.
During a visit in 2001, Queen Elizabeth made Michael Beaumont an Officer of the Order of the British Empire. This is a special honor given to people who have done great things.
In 2008, the way Sark was governed changed a lot. Michael Beaumont remained the overall leader of the island. However, he lost some of his very old, special rights that previous Seigneurs had. But he did keep a few unique privileges. For example, he was the only person on the island allowed to keep pigeons and a female dog that had not been spayed.
The first democratic elections on Sark happened in December 2008. Michael Beaumont was happy about these changes. He felt they helped his island stay independent from the larger island of Guernsey.
Later Years and Legacy
As Michael Beaumont and his wife grew older, their health made it difficult to live in La Seigneurie. This is the large, traditional home of the Seigneur. So, they moved to a smaller house on their property. In 2009, they made an agreement with David Synnott and his wife. They allowed the Synnotts to live in La Seigneurie for ten years. The Synnotts paid rent by doing renovations and improvements to the historic building. This was seen as a generous gift to the next Seigneur.
Michael Beaumont's oldest son, Major Christopher Beaumont, was his heir. Christopher lived and worked in Britain with his family. He was an officer in the Royal Engineers. In 2008, he said he planned to move back to Sark when he inherited the title.
In 2011, Michael Beaumont stated that he would never sell his title or the island's special status. He died on 3 July 2016. His son, Christopher, then became the twenty-third Seigneur of Sark.
Michael Beaumont's wife, Diana, passed away on 1 December 2016. She was 80 years old and died less than five months after her husband.
See also
In Spanish: John Michael Beaumont para niños
