Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Beltz, George Frederick

1253261Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900, Volume 04 — Beltz, George Frederick1885Charles William Sutton

BELTZ, GEORGE FREDERICK (1777–1841), Lancaster herald, was for many years employed in the office of the Garter king of arms. He became gentleman usher of the scarlet rod of the order of the Bath, and Brunswick herald in 1814, in succession to Sir Isaac Heard. In 1813 he was secretary to the mission sent to invest the Emperor of Russia with the order of the Garter, and in 1814 he performed a similar office at the investiture of the Emperor of Austria. After being portcullis pursuivant from 1817 to 1822 he was appointed Lancaster herald. In 1826 he was made a companion of the Royal Hanoverian Guelphic order, of which order he was honoured with knighthood in 1836. Mr. Beltz, who was an executor for the widow of David Garrick, wrote a memoir of Mrs. Garrick in the 'Gentleman's Magazine' for November 1822, and he contributed papers on archaeological subjects to the 'Gentleman's Magazine (1822), to the 'Retrospective Review' (1823), and to vols, xxv., xxvii., and xxviii. of the 'Archæologia of the Society of Antiquaries (1833-39). Many of the elaborate pedigrees in Sir R. C. Hoare's 'History of Wiltshire' were compiled by him.

In 1834 he published, in an octavo volume, 'A Review of the Chandos Peerage Case, adjudicated 1803, and of the pretensions of Sir Samuel Egerton Brydges, Bart., to designate himself per Legem Terre Baron Chandos of Sudeley,' in which the emptiness of those pretensions is shown, His only other work was issued in 1841, under the title of 'Memorials of the Order of the Garter, from its Foundation to the Present Time.' He was engaged in this work during many years, and only survived its publication by a few months. He was attacked by his last illness while on a tour on the continent, and died at Basle 28 Oct. 1841, aged about 64, and was interred in the cemetery of the parish of St. Peter there.

[Gent. Mag. January 1842. p. 107.]

C. W. S.