North Ludlow Beamish facts for kids

North Ludlow Beamish (born December 31, 1797 – died April 27, 1872) was an Irish military writer and a historian who studied ancient things. He was known for his books about military history and his interest in the Vikings.

Who Was North Ludlow Beamish?

Early Life and Family

North Ludlow Beamish was born in County Cork, Ireland. His father, William Beamish, was a successful businessman and landowner. William Beamish was also one of the owners of Beamish and Crawford, which was one of the biggest breweries in Ireland.

Military Career

In November 1816, North Ludlow Beamish joined the army as an officer in the 4th Royal Irish Dragoon Guards. He quickly showed his skills and was promoted. In 1825, he translated a small book about cavalry (soldiers on horseback) from German into English. This book was written by Count Friedrich Wilhelm von Bismarck, a famous officer who was helping to improve the cavalry in Württemberg.

Beamish's work was noticed, and he received a higher rank the next year. While working with the government in Hanover, he translated another book by Count von Bismarck called Lectures on Cavalry. Beamish added his own notes to this book, suggesting changes that were later used by the British cavalry. He also wrote and edited a history of the King's German Legion, a group of German soldiers who fought for Britain from 1803 to 1816. This history was published between 1834 and 1837.

Interest in History

After leaving Hanover, Beamish became very interested in old Norse history, especially about the Vikings. In 1841, he published a summary of the discoveries made by Professor Carl Christian Rafn. This summary was about how the Vikings discovered America in the tenth century, hundreds of years before Christopher Columbus.

Like his younger brother, Richard, North Ludlow Beamish was a member of the Royal Society. This is a very famous group for scientists and thinkers. He was also part of several other important groups.

North Ludlow Beamish passed away at Annmount, County Cork, on April 27, 1872.

What He Wrote

Here are some of the books and reports North Ludlow Beamish wrote:

• Instructions for the Field Service of Cavalry, from the German of Count von Bismarck, London, 1825.
• Lectures on the Duties of Cavalry, from the German of Count von Bismarck, London, 1827.
• History of the King's German Legion (2 volumes), London, 1834–7.
• The Discovery of America by the Northmen in the Tenth Century, with Notes on the Early Settlement of the Irish in the Western Hemisphere, London, 1841.
• On the Alterations of Level in the Baltic, British Association Reports, 1843.
• Major Ludlow Beamish's visit to the Kilkerrin Estate of the Irish Waste Land Company, Dublin, c. 1844.
• Statistical Report on the Physical and Moral Condition of the Working Classes in the Parish of St. Michael, Blackrock, Near Cork. Journal of the Statistical Society of London 7, no. 3 (1844): 251–54.
• On the Uses and Application of Cavalry in War, London, 1855.

See Also

• North L.A Beamish (his son)