BECKWITH, William (eld. son of Wm. Beckwith of Trimdon, co. Durham 1772–1847). b. 20 Aug. 1795; cornet 16 Dragoons 7 Jany. 1813; major 14 Dragoons 14 Feb. 1828 to 6 Dec. 1833 when placed on h.p.; colonel 15 Hussars 17 July 1859 to death; general 9 April 1868; K.H. 1832; sheriff of Durham 1858. d. Silkworth near Sunderland 23 Feb. 1871.

BEDDOME, John Reynolds. M.R.C.S. 1811; M.D. Erlangen; surgeon at Romsey 1811 to death; mayor of Romsey 6 times, d. Romsey 26 Dec. 1859. I.L.N. xxxiv, 385 (1859), portrait.

BEDFORD, Francis Russell, 7 Duke of (eld. child of John Russell 6 Duke of Bedford 1766–1839). b. 13 May 1788; ed. at Westminster and Trin. coll. Cam., M.A. 1808; M.P. for Beds. 1812 to 1832; summoned to House of Lords as Baron Howland 15 Jany. 1833; succeeded as 7 Duke 20 Oct. 1839; P.C. 6 July 1846; K.G. 26 March 1847; lord lieutenant of Beds. 29 Nov. 1859; high steward of Cambridge 1860; master of the Oakley hounds to 1828 when he sold the pack to Lord Southampton for £2,000, master again 1836–39. d. Woburn Abbey, Beds. 14 May 1861. Baily’s Mag. i, 57–59 (1860), portrait; Waagen’s Treasures of Art ii, 283–86, iii, 463–74 and iv. 331–37.

BEDFORD, William Russell, 8 Duke of. b. Grosvenor square London 1 July 1809; M.P. for Tavistock 10 Dec. 1832 to 23 June 1841; succeeded 14 May 1861. d. 6 Belgrave sq. London 26 May 1872. Personalty sworn under £600,000 June 1872. I.L.N. lx, 555. 592, 623 (1872), portrait.

BEDFORD, Francis. b. 1799; apprenticed to Finlay a bookbinder 1814; worked under Charles Lewis, foremost of English bookbinders; carried on business for benefit of Lewis’s widow; partner with John Clarke who was unrivalled in tree marbled calf; afterwards in business alone at 91 York st. Westminster; the best binder in England or perhaps Europe. d. 12 Coningham road, Shepherd’s Bush 8 June 1883. His library was sold by Sothebys 21, 22, 24 and 25 March 1884 for £4,876 16s. 6d.

BEDFORD, George Augustus. b. 8 Feb. 1809; entered navy 23 Dec. 1823; Captain 2 Jan. 1854; retired V.A. 22 March 1876; F.R.G.S. 1859. d. The Elms, Sydenham hill 11 Feb. 1879.

BEDFORD, Rev. John (son of John Bedford of Wakefield). b. Wakefield 27 July 1810; Wesleyan minister at Glasgow 1831; at Manchester 1855 to death; sec. to general chapel committee 1860–72; pres. of conference 1867; author of Correspondence with the Rev. Wm. Sutcliffe relative to the doctrines, ministry and system of the Wesleyan Methodists 1842. d. Chorlton-cum-Hardy near Manchester 20 Nov. 1879. I.L.N. li, 232 (1867), portrait.

BEDFORD, Paul John. b. Bath 24 Jany. 1792; made his début on the stage at Bath 1815; acted in Ireland and Scotland; made his début in London at Drury Lane 2 Nov. 1824 as Hawthorn in opera of Love in a village; played at Adelphi theatre 1838–67; had one of the deepest and richest bass voices ever heard, his best parts were Blueskin in Jack Sheppard 1839, Jack Gong in The green bushes 1845 and the Kinchin cove in The flowers of the forest 1847; took his farewell of the stage at the Queen’s theatre 16 May 1868; sang at Weston’s Music hall London and The hall by the sea Margate 1869; author of Recollections and wanderings 1864; Drawing room dramas 1874. (m. (1) Miss Green of Dublin, an actress who d. April 1833 aged 32). (m. (2) Miss Verinder, a pianist and harpist, she d. 1864). d. Lindsey place, Chelsea 11 Jany. 1871. Theatrical times i, 129 (1847), portrait; Illust. sporting news ii, 180 (1863), portrait, v. 133 (1866), portrait.

BEDINGFELD, Felix William George Richard (youngest son of Sir Richard Bedingfeld, 5 Baronet 1767–1829). b. 12 Aug. 1808; crown comr. of Turk’s Island in the Bahamas 1842–49; barrister L.I. 26 April 1849; master of supreme court of Trinidad 1849–54; colonial sec. for and member of council of Mauritius 1860–68; C.M.G. 1869. d. Pilgrim, Lymington, Hants. 7 Dec. 1884.

BEDINGFELD, Sir Henry Richard Paston, 6 Baronet. b. Oxburgh, Norfolk 10 May 1800; succeeded 22 Nov. 1829. d. Oxburgh 4 Feb. 1862.