Frederick Edward Blackett Beaumont (1833 to 1899) was a British Royal Engineers officer, Liberal member of Parliament and inventor best known for improving the diamond rock drill. Born at Darfield, Yorkshire, and educated at Harrow and Woolwich, he joined the Royal Engineers in 1852 and served in the Crimea. In 1864 he patented machinery for driving galleries through rock, and in 1868 with Charles Appleby patented the improved diamond drill, then exhibited a rock tunnelling machine at the Paris Exhibition of 1867 with Captain Locock. His 1875 tunnelling machine was later used in the experimental Channel Tunnel headings. He also advocated a British army balloon unit, sat for South Durham from 1868 to 1880, and died in London on 20 August 1899.
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Source Frederick Beaumont (Grace's Guide)
In Field
Source Frederick Beaumont (Grace's Guide)
Sources
1. Frederick Beaumont (Grace's Guide)
Timeline, 1833
Born 22 Oct 1833 in Darfield, Barnsley, Yorkshire.
Timeline, 1899
died in London on 20 Aug 1899
In Field: Mining Engineering, Timeline, 1867
improvements in machinery for driving drifts or galleries through stone or rock
Associated With: Tunnel Boring Machine, Timeline, 1875
Patented a tunnelling machine that was later employed in boring the experimental Channel Tunnel headings.
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