Freund Beaumont

Bank: London County & Westminster Bank

Place of work: London St James's Street branch

Died: 25 January 1917

Freund Beaumont was born in London on 15 February 1887, the second of five children of William Beaumont and his wife Emma.

In 1903 Beaumont started work as a boy clerk in the accountant general's office of the British Postal Service. Three years later, in March 1906, he took a job in London & County Bank. In 1909 London & County Bank merged with London & Westminster Bank, and Beaumont became an employee of the enlarged London County & Westminster Bank.

During the First World War Beaumont left his post as a clerk at the bank's London St James's Street branch to serve in the navy. By the time of his death in January 1917 he was Assistant Paymaster on HMS Laurentic.

On 25 January 1917 the Laurentic was sunk off the coast of Ireland. Although Beaumont escaped in a life boat, during the bitter night that followed he gave his coat to a fellow survivor. Beaumont died later that night from exposure to the cold. Only 5 of the 36 occupants of the boat survived; one of them was the man to whom Beaumont had given his coat.

Beaumont's Captain later described him as 'very hard-working and good in every way; never a fault in his work, and always willing.'

Freund Beaumont is commemorated on a bank war memorial at NatWest London Piccadilly & New Bond Street branch.