John Thomas Barber, army officer, insurer, miniaturist and philanthropist, took the additional name of Beaumont in 1812. In 1803 he raised a crack rifle regiment in response to the threat of Napoleonic invasion; persisting over decades, it evolved into Queen Victoria’s Rifles. In 1806-1807 he established the Provident Institution and Savings Bank and the County Fire and Provident Life insurance concerns. He invested in South America, setting up the Rio de la Plata Agricultural Association. He had works displayed at the Royal Academy and was miniature painter to the Duke of Clarence.
Updated 2018
