Heroes and Rebels in the Family Tree—Amos Beamish, The Barnby Giant

 

Amos Beamish of Barnby, Suffolk was and is a local hero. He stood six feet six inches tall and weighed 28 stones (392 lbs/184 ks).  He was known as The Barnby Giant.  Because of his size, the hatchways of vessels he sailed on were enlarged, but since he was said to do the work of two men, owners were pleased to modify their boats.  During a fishing voyage to Cornwall, he was challenged by the Newlyn Giant to lift a stone weighing 60 stones (840 lbs/395 ks), which he did with ease, the Newlyn man failing. Amos could carry four hundredweight of cement at once, one bag tucked under each arm and a sack in each hand, a total of 448 lbs. He had a tremendous appetite and would eat 30 herrings at a sitting.
Victor Mons Beamish (son of Sidney Beamish and grandson of Amos Beamish) was fortunate to meet an old fisherman who sailed with Amos Beamish, the Barnby Giant, and who told the story that he and Amos were walking along what was then a lane from Barnby to Lowestoft to work, when they were confronted by two men intent upon robbing them. Amos did not hesitate. He threw the first man across one hedge and the second man over the other - while his young friend had only to stand by and watch the ill-matched contest.
And Frank Beamish (son of Henry Beamish and grandson of Amos Beamish) tells the story that his mother Frances, when visiting Amos and Louisa, was sitting in front of their cottage when Amos came home carrying a tree trunk on his shoulder; and when he threw it on the ground the whole cottage shook.  He would pick Frances up and sit her on his knee and call her his little girl.

References from The Eastern Evening News 3 April 1957, 5 June 1962, 21 August 1976, Lowestoft Journal 15 March 1953, 1-8-15 March 1957. 

Legend has it that during the Barnby train crash Amos Beamish lifted the entire end of a carriage in order to release trapped passenger. The following extracts are taken from The Lowestoft Journal date 2^nd January 1892.
 

TERRIBLE RAILWAY CATASTROPHE
near Lowestoft.

Three men killed and more than thirty injured.

Painful scenes

       One of the most alarming and at the same time disastrous railway accidents with which this district has been visited for years, and which in some of its features recalls not a few terrible incidents ...  took place at Barnby siding on Christmas Eve, Dec. 24th (1891), and caused the utmost consternation amidst the inhabitants of Lowestoft and the neighbourhood generally, and ...    Mist from the nearby marshes had obscured all vision. The down train from London was late arriving.  The up train from Lowestoft left the siding at Barnby, proceeding onto the single track, and “... the Lowestoft train dashed into the other with such force as to deal out death and disaster in every direction, and by which three of our fellow creatures ... were suddenly deprived of their existence. ... Being a festive season, in the cottages at Barnby the villagers were lingering over the 'cup that cheers but not inebriates'...  At. the Swan, too, there was a considerable number of visitors at the time, and these hurried with all possible speed to the place ...
Foremost amongst these was Mr. Amos Beamish, a man of almost gigantic strength, which he turned to such good account as to make one believe it was specially increased for the occasion. Those present who witnessed his exertions and were undoubtedly stimulated by them, speak in the highest possible manner of the service he rendered.  It seems his wife had been visiting a sick relative, and had nearly reached her home, when she-heard the fearful collision of the two engines, and she rushed into the house telling her husband what had taken place and the heart-rending screams to which she had been compelled to listen.  The brave fellow at once rushed out with an implement which lay at hand which he soon wielded with such effect as to be the means of rescuing numbers from their perilous position, and which might possibly have ended in their case also fatally.  By this time fires, made with portions of the wreck had been kindled, and amidst the cruel fog, which had been the prime cause of the disaster, might be seen his massive form moving from place to place, here assisting one from a quantity of debris and again with his axe cutting away the woodwork of the wrecked carriages and releasing the sufferers who had been literally
embedded in the wreck of the ill-fated train.  Search was naturally initiated for any who might have been pitched out of the train as the fearful concussion occurred.  In this, too, as well as with others, Mr. Beamish was successful.  Some were found in a dazed condition, severally perfectly helpless because of fractures, broken limbs, wounded scalps, benumbed frames and other sufferings, but eventually the full extent of the disaster was fairly well gauged, and when the medical men arrived, they had little to do but attend to their numerous patients.”

Family

Amos Beamish was eighth child of ten born in Barnby, Suffolk, England to William Beamish (1806-1847) and his wife Sarah Wright (1810-1870).  Born on April 25, 1845, he was baptized on May 25, 1845 in the parish church of Barnby.  In January 1873 he married Louisa Aldred (1850-1904).  Amos and Louisa had 12 children, eight boys and 4 girls.  Their children were:

1.     Amos Beamish (1875-1914)

2.     Anna Maria Beamish (1876-1942) married Frederick James Cook.

3.     William Amos Beamish (1879-1955) married Ruth Harriet Cole.

4.     Henry Beamish (1879-1957) married Frances Pinkney.

5.     Florence Mary Beamish (1881-1955) married Herbert Cleveland Moore.

6.     Ernest John C Beamish (1883-1940) married Edith M West.

7.     Sidney Beamish (1884-1966) married Gertrude Rackham and after her death in 1918 married May Lilian Fairweather.

8.     Frank Beamish (1884-1945) twin brother of Sidney. Married Bessie Maria Fountain.

9.     Louisa Lily Janet Beamish (1886-1960) married David Emmanuel Brown.

10. Emily Louisa Beamish (1888-1960) married Nickolas William Kloppers and moved to Cape Town, South Africa.

11. Andrew George Beamish (1890-1966)

12. Moss Edgar Beamish (1892-1892) died in infancy.

Genealogy:  Amos Beamish (1845-1914) was the son of  William Beamish (1806-1847) and his mother was Elizabeth Algar (1783-1865) and her father was John Algar (1759-1833) and his daughter was Lydia Algar (1792-1872) and her son was William Algar Moore (1815-1857) and his wife was Sarah Ann Cooper (1823-1902) and her mother was Sarah Girling (1798-1885) and her mother was Susanna Barwood (1765-1864) and her father was George Burwood (1743-1823) and his mother was Judith Salter (1707-1773) and her mother was Judith Farrow (1680-1718) and her mother was Anne Mewse (1654-    ) and her father was Philip Mewse (1629-1673) and his father was John Mewse (Fisherman) (1592-1667) and his son was Simon Mewse (butcher) (1641-1719) and his son was Simon Mewse (butcher) (1672-1741) and his son was Simon Mewse (1695-1736) and his daughter was Mary Mewse (1727-1797) and her daughter was Elizabeth Curtis (1756-1831) and her son was John Curtis Adams (1797-1873) and his son was William Frederick Adams (1848-1907) and his son was George "Pikey" William Welch-Adams (1867-1940).