Beaufort, Daniel Augustus, Doctor of Law 1739-1821, geographer, born on 1 Oct. 1739 at East Barnet, was the son of Daniel Cornelis de Beaufort.
     Daniel Augustus was educated at Trinity College, Dublin, of which he was elected a scholar in 1757. He became Bachelor of Arts in 1759, M.A. in 1764, and Doctor of Law (honoris causa) in 1789. He was ordained by the Bishop of Salisbury, and, in succession to his father, was rector of Navan, co. Meath, from 1765 to 1818. In 1790 he was presented by the Right Hon. John Foster to the vicarage of Collon, co. Louth. He afterwards built the church at Collon, where he remained until his death in 1821. He was successively collated to the prebendal stalls of Kilconnell, in the diocese of Clonfert (3 Oct. 1818), and of Mayne, in the diocese of Ossory (20 April 1820).
     Dr. Beaufort took a prominent part in the foundation of Sunday schools and in the preparation of elementary educational works. The Royal Irish Academy owed its formation in great measure to his exertions. His most important work was his map of Ireland, published in 1792, and accompanied by a memoir of the civil and ecclesiastical state of the country. All the places marked on the map are systematically indexed in the memoir and assigned to their respective parishes, baronies, &c. In the preface the author states that this map was prepared from original observations to remedy the defects of existing maps of Ireland. Competent authorities pronounce it and the memoir to be valuable contributions to geography. The publication of this work was encouraged by the Marquis of Buckingham, lord-lieutenant of Ireland. Beaufort married Mary, daughter and coheiress of William Waller, of Allenstown, co. Meath. Their elder son, William Louis Beaufort (1771-1849), was rector of Glanmire, and prebendary of Rathcooney, Cork, from 1814 until his death in 1849. Their younger son was Sir Francis Beaufort [qv.].

Sources:
     Information from W. M. Beaufort, Esq.
     Times, 18 June 1821
     Gent. Mag. vol. ix.
     Cotton's Fasti Hibernici
     Monthly Review, xiii. 173
     Webb's Compendium of Irish Biography.

Contributor: A. G-n. [Alfred Goodwin]

Published: 1885