He was born on 25 May 1860 at Oxford, the eldest son of his father, tinplate manufacturer Richard Thomas. Richard Beaumont Thomas married Nora Anderson, the fourth daughter of James Anderson a Tea Merchant, of Dundee and Elizabeth Ann Downes at Holy Trinity Church, Tulse Hill, London on 2 August 1888.
Richard and Nora produced four children
Vera Nora Beaumont-Thomas born 12 June 1889, died 24 November 1900,
Colonel Lionel Beaumont-Thomas Military Cross Member of Parliament born 1 August 1893,
Irene Murial Beaumont-Thomas born 9 October 1894 and,
Reginald Alexander Beaumont-Thomas born 3 September 1903. During 1885, assisted by Robert Davies, Richard Beaumont-Thomas invented a cleaning machine and a dusting machine. These machines made possible the continuous production of tinplate.
The patents for these inventions were issued and utilised by the tinplate industry globally.
Richard Beaumont-Thomas died on 14 February 1917 leaving a will of £449,285-18-9 pounds sterling. The will, due to its complexity was converted into a Private Bill, an Acting of Parliament named the Beaumont Thomas Estate 1929 (19 & 20 Geo5) read in the House of Lords.
