Family and Education

bap. 11 May 1722, o.s. of Thomas Beauchamp of Tottenham by Anne, da. of William Proctor of Langley. educ. Magdalen, Oxf. 1738. m. (1) his cos. Jane (d. 10 May 1761), da. of Christopher Towers of Huntsmoor Park, Bucks., 2s. 3da.; (2) 13 May 1762, Laetitia, da. and coh. of Henry Johnson of Great Berkhampstead, Herts., 4s. 2da. Her sis. Agneta m. 1762 Charles Yorke. suc. fa. 15 June 1724, gd.-fa. Ephraim Beauchamp 16 Dec. 1728, uncle George Proctor of Langley 12 Sept. 1744, and took add. name of Proctor; cr. Bt. 20 Feb. 1745; K.B. 23 Mar. 1761.

Offices Held

Biography

Beauchamp Proctor successfully contested Middlesex in 1747, and was returned unopposed in 1754. He was classed by Dupplin in 1754 as a country gentleman supporting Administration, and in Bute’s list of December 1761 as his supporter. But he voted against the peace preliminaries, 9 and 10 Dec. 1762; with Opposition on Wilkes and general warrants; and belonged to Wildman’s Club. Rockingham in July 1765 classed him as ‘pro’, and in November 1766 as ‘Whig’. He voted against the Chatham Administration on the land tax, 27 Feb. 1767.

At the general election of 1768 he was defeated for Middlesex, and stood again at the by-election in December. Rockingham wrote to Charles Yorke on 9 June 1768:1

Sir William on many occasions has acted handsomely (at least as we think, because it was on points in Parliament which were thought essential matters by us), and I thought I perceived an inclination among our friends to do him service.

Beauchamp Proctor was opposed by John Glynn, Wilkes’s lawyer, and after a riotous and expensive contest was defeated. It was rumoured that the election cost him £10,000.2 He did not attempt to contest the county again, nor, so far as is known, any other constituency.

He died 13 Sept. 1773.

Ref Volumes: 1754-1790

Author: John Brooke

Notes

• 1. Add. 35430, ff. 118-19.
• 2. Jas. Harris’s memorandum, 10 Dec. 1768, Malmesbury mss.