John Beard, singer and actor, and William Ewart, supporter of public libraries, are recognised by a plaque at the Hampton Branch Library, Rose Hill, Hampton.

John Beard was born in 1716 or 17 – his birthplace and family are not known. He studied music from an early age and was one of the children at the Chapel Royal until his voice changed and he was honourably dismissed from the king’s service in 1734. George Frideric Handel was impressed by Beard’s skill and promptly hired him as a tenor in the Covent Garden company, performing Il pastor fido. Beard performed in ten operas, church music, oratorios, masques and odes. He sang more parts under Handel than any other singer.

Beard also sang in other productions elsewhere, including The Royal Chase in 1736, a pantomime from which the song ‘The Early Horn’ became his signature. The next year, he was Macheath in The Beggar’s Opera. He appeared in ballads and burlesques as well as more serious performances and his shows often had greater success than other comparable shows because of his popularity.

Later life

In 1739 he married the aristocratic Lady Harriet Herbert, née Waldegrave, which caused a scandal. Without the support of her family, they faced financial struggles, though Beard continued to be a successful singer. Lady Harriet died in 1753. Beard later married Charlotte Rich, whose father was manager of the Covent Garden theatre, and he managed the theatre with his mother-in-law from 1761. He adapted ballad operas like The Sailor’s Return to feature himself and star soprano Charlotte Brent, a pupil and mistress of Thomas Arne. 

Beard was elected to the Sublime Society of Beefsteaks, received a DMus from Oxford and became a member of the Royal Society of Musicians. He became a governor of the Foundling Hospital and performed there every year for a decade to raise funds.

In 1767 Beard had to retire early from the stage due to deafness. He and Charlotte retired to the house at Rose Hill in Hampton, which was said to have been built for them, and where they lived for many years.

William Ewart

From 1838 to 1842, Rose Hill was the home of William Ewart MP, who had moved there from Belgravia, where he is also commemorated with a plaque.

Ewart was a liberal reformer who campaigned against capital punishment, advocated for the founding of a commemorative plaque scheme in London, which was initiated by the Society of Arts in 1866 and is now the blue plaques scheme. He also worked to establish public museums and libraries. Appropriately, given his role in securing the Libraries Act of 1850, Rose Hill has been a public library since 1902.

Further reading

• Victoria Halliwell, ‘Beard, John (1716/17–1791)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (2005) (access with a UK public library card)