# A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Beauman, Francis

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​BEAUMAN. (Rear-Admiral of the Blue, 1840. f-p., 17; h-p.,40.)
Francis Beauman, born in 1778, is fifth and youngest son of the late John Beauman, Esq., of co. Wexford, by Anne, daughter of Edm. Rice, Esq., of Ahere, in the same county. He is uncle of the present Matthew Forde Beauman, Esq., of Hyde Park, co. Wexford; brother-in-law of Wm. Talbot, Esq., of Castle Talbot; and has a niece married to Lieut. Henry Cavendish Hore, R.N.
This officer entered the Navy, 25 Oct. 1790, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Porcupine 24, Capt. Geo. Martin, stationed on the coast of Ireland; was afterwards transferred to the Bombay Castle 74, Capt. John Thos. Duckworth, lying at Plymouth; became Midshipman, in March, 1791, of the Perseus 20, Capt. Geo. Palmer, in the boats of which vessel, in May, 1793, he was wounded at the cutting out of a small French privateer in Basque Roads; and subsequently served both in the Ramillies 74, Capt. Henry Harvey, with whom he was present in Lord Howe’s victory of 1 June, 1794, and in the Russel 74, Capts. John Willet Payne ​and Thos. Larcom, under the latter of whom, on the occasion of Lord Bridport’s defeat of the French fleet off l’Orient, 23 June, 1795, he was again severely wounded. In May, 1796, he was appointed Acting-Lieutenant of the Director 64, Capt. Wm. Bligh, and, on 26 Oct. following, was confirmed into the Incendiary fire-ship, Capts. Henry Digby and Geo. Barker. For his exertions at the commencement of the mutiny at Spithead in 1797 – when, as First of that vessel, and in the midst of the rebellious fleet, he was the means, during the absence on leave of the Captain, and until the arrival of an order from the Admiral to admit on board a party of the mutineers, of preventing, with the assistance of the other officers, the ship’s company from joining in the disaffection – he was selected by Capt. Jas. Vashon, of the Pomfee 80, to be one of his Lieutenants; but, endeavouring to quell the insubordination which immediately afterwards exhibited itself on board that ship also, he was seized by the crew, who were proceeding to hang him, and had actually placed the rope around his neck, when, the Captain rushing forward, they were induced to forego their murderous intent, and he was sent on shore. On 3 June Lieut. Beauman was appointed by the Admiralty, with an assurance of promotion, to the Neptune 98, Capt. Sir Erasmus Gower, for the express purpose of crushing the mutiny then raging at the Nore. Some time afterwards, not having attained the promised step, and Lord Bridport, in expressed sympathy for the unfair treatment he had experienced, offering him a vacancy on board his flagship, the Royal George 100, he continued, for two years, to serve in the Channel with that gallant ofilcer; and he was subsequently, until the peace of Amiens, employed with Rear-Admiral Chas. Morice Pole in the Agincourt 64, on the Newfoundland station. On 10 May, 1803, he became First Lieutenant to Admiral Hon. Wm. Comwallis, in the Ville de Paris 110; after serving in which ship for upwards of 53 weeks at the blockade of Brest, without letting go an anchor, he was advanced to the rank of Commander, 4 March, 1805. We next, on 25 March, 1807, find him appointed to the Procris 18, and ordered by the Admiralty to inspect and report on the state of the Danish fleet. In the expedition against Copenhagen, which immediately ensued, Capt. Beauman so acquired the approbation of the Commander-in-Chief, Lord Gambler, as to be promoted, 13 Oct., on his return to England, to Post-rank. On 17 March, 1808, he was appointed to the Princess of Orange 74, bearing the flag in the Downs of Vice-Admiral Geo. Campbell; in Feb. 1809, assumed the command of the gun-boats in the Great Belt; accompanied the expedition to the Scheldt in Aug. following; and on 7 Nov. 1810, rejoined Vice-Admiral Campbell in the Monmouth 64. Since March, 1811, when the latter officer struck his flag, he has not been afloat. Rear-Admiral Beauman, who during the term of his active service was never absent 48 hours from the ship to which he belonged, attained his present rank 23 Nov. 1841.
He married, first, in 1802, the widow of Col. Jas. Webber; and, secondly, in 1824, the Comtesse Isabella de Viry, daughter of the Comte de Viry, many years Sardinian Ambassador at the Court of St. James’s. Agents – Messrs. Ommanney.