Bartholomew Beale (died 8 May 1674) was an English bureaucrat of the

Commonwealth A commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. The noun "commonwealth", meaning "public welfare, general good or advantage", dates from the 15th century. Originally a phrase (the common-wealth ...

and Restoration periods. Beale was the third son of Bartholomew Beale, of

Walton Walton may refer to: People * Walton (given name) * Walton (surname) * Susana, Lady Walton (1926–2010), Argentine writer Places Canada * Walton, Nova Scotia, a community ** Walton River (Nova Scotia) *Walton, Ontario, a hamlet United Kingd ...

, Buckinghamshire. His elder brother, Charles,''Burke's Genealogical and Heraldic History of the Landed Gentry'' (1875) was the husband of the portrait painter

Mary Beale Mary Beale () (16331699) was an English portrait painter. She was part of a small band of female professional artists working in London. Beale became the main financial provider for her family through her professional work a career she maintai ...

. Educated at

Peterhouse, Cambridge Peterhouse is the oldest Colleges of the University of Cambridge, constituent college of the University of Cambridge in England, founded in 1284 by Hugh de Balsham, Bishop of Ely. Peterhouse has around 300 undergraduate and 175 graduate stud ...

, Beale was admitted to

Gray's Inn The Honourable Society of Gray's Inn, commonly known as Gray's Inn, is one of the four Inns of Court (professional associations for barristers and judges) in London. To be called to the bar in order to practise as a barrister in England and Wale ...

on 18 June 1639. He obtained the reversion of the office of

auditor of the imprests Auditor of the Imprests was a profitable office of the Exchequer, responsible for auditing the accounts of officers of the English crown to whom money was issued for government expenditure, from 1559 to 1785. Foundation Prior to 1559 this duty wa ...

for life on 17 August 1641, and took up the post in 1650. A relative of

Samuel Pepys Samuel Pepys ( ; 23 February 1633 – 26 May 1703) was an English writer and Tories (British political party), Tory politician. He served as an official in the Navy Board and Member of Parliament (England), Member of Parliament, but is most r ...

by marriage, Beale appears several times in Pepys' diaries, and his methods seem to have met with approval:

After dinner by coach with Sir G. Carteret and Sir J. Minnes by appointment to Auditor Beale's in Salisbury Court, and there we did with great content look over some old ledgers to see in what manner they were kept, and indeed it was in an extraordinary good method.

The office of auditor, which required Beale to examine the books of various officials who spent government money "on account", was a fairly lucrative one. With the emoluments from his employment, Beale was able to purchase

Hopton Castle Hopton Castle is situated in the village of the same name which lies approximately halfway between Knighton and Craven Arms, in the English county of Shropshire. Hopton Castle featured in the TV series ''Time Team'' in 2010. A ruin since the ...

Shropshire Shropshire (; abbreviated SalopAlso used officially as the name of the county from 1974–1980. The demonym for inhabitants of the county "Salopian" derives from this name.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the West M ...

, which remained in the family for several generations. He also owned a house in

Hatton Garden Hatton Garden is a street and commercial zone in the Holborn district of the London Borough of Camden, abutting the narrow precinct of Saffron Hill which then abuts the City of London. It takes its name from Sir Christopher Hatton, a favourit ...

, London. On 8 May 1674, Beale died by

suicide Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Risk factors for suicide include mental disorders, physical disorders, and substance abuse. Some suicides are impulsive acts driven by stress (such as from financial or ac ...

, "throwing himself downe in his frantick fitt" from the upper window of this house, much to the puzzlement of his contemporaries. His wife, the former Miss Hunt, survived him, as did two children, the eldest also named Bartholomew. He left them a large estate, and was in no financial difficulties at the time of his death.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Beale, Bartholomew 1600s births 1674 deaths Alumni of Peterhouse, Cambridge English civil servants Members of Gray's Inn Suicides by jumping in England Politicians who died by suicide