Bouvier Beale
Encyclopedia
Bouvier Beale was a prominent American lawyer
. Beale was a son of Edith Ewing Bouvier Beale
and a brother of Edith Bouvier Beale
whose lives were highlighted in the documentary Grey Gardens
. Beale was a first cousin of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis
and Lee Radziwill
.
, New York
. He was the youngest son of Phelan Beale, Sr.
and his wife Edith Ewing Bouvier Beale
(known as "Big Edie"). Beale grew up at Grey Gardens at 3 West End Road in the wealthy Georgica Pond
neighborhood in East Hampton
on Long Island
. Beale was known as "Buddy" to his friends and family. He attended Westminster School in Simsbury
, Connecticut
.
Unlike his sister and elder brother Phelan Beale, Jr.
, Beale followed in the footsteps of his father and grandfather by attending Yale Law School
and establishing his own law firm in New York—Walker and Beale (late Walker, Beale, Wainwright and Wolf).
, at St. Johns Episcopal Church of Lattingtown
in 1942. Beale's brother Phelan was his best man for the ceremony. Beale's ceremony was half over when his mother Big Edie arrived, dressed like an opera star.
Beale and Katharine had three sons:
Beale and his family resided in the historic 1906 Italian Renaissance-styled home Cedarcroft in Glen Cove on Long Island
, and in 1971, built their summer home in Bridgehampton
.
, Jones Beach
, and Bridgehampton
.
by his mother, but was an atheist or nihilist
in his adulthood. It was Beale's belief that Karl Marx
"had it right about religion."
and Lee Radziwill
came to the aid of Big and Little Edie by having the mansion repaired and cleaned to meet health, sanitation, and building codes, Beale reluctantly paid the back property taxes on the estate.
was given by his son, Christopher Beale.
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
. Beale was a son of Edith Ewing Bouvier Beale
Edith Ewing Bouvier Beale
Edith Ewing Bouvier Beale , aunt of Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis, was an American amateur singer, known for her eccentric lifestyle, and part of the New York high society...
and a brother of Edith Bouvier Beale
Edith Bouvier Beale
Edith Bouvier Beale was an American socialite, fashion model and cabaret performer. She was a first cousin of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and Lee Radziwill...
whose lives were highlighted in the documentary Grey Gardens
Grey Gardens
Grey Gardens is a 1975 documentary film by Albert and David Maysles, with Susan Froemke, Ellen Hovde, and Muffie Meyer. The film depicts the everyday lives of two reclusive socialites, a mother and daughter both named Edith Beale, who lived at Grey Gardens, a decrepit mansion at 3 West End Road in...
. Beale was a first cousin of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis
Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis
Jacqueline Lee Bouvier "Jackie" Kennedy Onassis was the wife of the 35th President of the United States, John F. Kennedy, and served as First Lady of the United States during his presidency from 1961 until his assassination in 1963. Five years later she married Greek shipping magnate Aristotle...
and Lee Radziwill
Lee Radziwill
Caroline Lee Bouvier Canfield Radziwill Ross best known as Lee Radziwill, is an American socialite, public relations executive, and former actress and interior decorator. She is the younger sister of the late First Lady, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis...
.
Early life
Beale was born on 13 February 1922 in New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. He was the youngest son of Phelan Beale, Sr.
Phelan Beale
Phelan Beale was a wealthy attorney and sportsman in New York City.Beale, who was married to Edith Ewing Bouvier, an aunt of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, is probably best remembered as the absent father chronicled in the Grey Gardens saga portrayed in a 1975 movie documentary, 2006 Broadway...
and his wife Edith Ewing Bouvier Beale
Edith Ewing Bouvier Beale
Edith Ewing Bouvier Beale , aunt of Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis, was an American amateur singer, known for her eccentric lifestyle, and part of the New York high society...
(known as "Big Edie"). Beale grew up at Grey Gardens at 3 West End Road in the wealthy Georgica Pond
Georgica Pond
Georgica Pond is a coastal lagoon on the west border of East Hampton Village and Wainscott, and was the site of a Summer White House of Bill Clinton in 1998 and 1999....
neighborhood in East Hampton
East Hampton (village), New York
The Village of East Hampton is a village in Town of East Hampton, New York. It is located in Suffolk County, on the South Fork of eastern Long Island...
on Long Island
Long Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
. Beale was known as "Buddy" to his friends and family. He attended Westminster School in Simsbury
Simsbury, Connecticut
Simsbury is a suburban town in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 23,234 at the 2000 census. The town was incorporated as Connecticut's twenty-first town in May 1670.-Early history:...
, Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
.
Unlike his sister and elder brother Phelan Beale, Jr.
Phelan Beale, Jr.
Phelan Beale, Jr. was an American journalist and unemployment compensation law expert. Beale was a son of Edith Ewing Bouvier Beale and a brother of Edith Bouvier Beale whose lives were highlighted in the documentary Grey Gardens...
, Beale followed in the footsteps of his father and grandfather by attending Yale Law School
Yale Law School
Yale Law School, or YLS, is the law school of Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Established in 1824, it offers the J.D., LL.M., J.S.D. and M.S.L. degrees in law. It also hosts visiting scholars, visiting researchers and a number of legal research centers...
and establishing his own law firm in New York—Walker and Beale (late Walker, Beale, Wainwright and Wolf).
Marriage and children
Beale married Katharine Ridgely Jones, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Nicholas Ridgely Jones of New York and Glen CoveGlen Cove, New York
Glen Cove is a city in Nassau County, New York on the North Shore of Long Island. As of the United States 2010 Census, the city population was 26,964....
, at St. Johns Episcopal Church of Lattingtown
Lattingtown, New York
The Village of Lattingtown is a village located within the Town of Oyster Bay in Nassau County, New York in the United States. The population was 1,739 at the 2010 census. Initially, Lattingtown was a marsh, populated by Matinecock Indians who lived nearby. The Matinecocks sold the area in 1660 to...
in 1942. Beale's brother Phelan was his best man for the ceremony. Beale's ceremony was half over when his mother Big Edie arrived, dressed like an opera star.
Beale and Katharine had three sons:
- Bouvier Beale, Jr.
- Nicholas Beale
- Christopher Prince Beale
Beale and his family resided in the historic 1906 Italian Renaissance-styled home Cedarcroft in Glen Cove on Long Island
Long Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
, and in 1971, built their summer home in Bridgehampton
Bridgehampton, New York
Bridgehampton is a hamlet in the South Fork of Suffolk County, New York, United States. The population was 1,381 at the 2000 census....
.
Pastimes
Beale spent his weekends and summers on Long Island at the Piping Rock ClubPiping Rock Club
Piping Rock Club is a country club in Locust Valley, New York.-History:The Piping Rock clubhouse was designed by American designer Guy Lowell, and built in 1911. Lowell based his designs on American colonial architecture a desire to link the house with the landscape...
, Jones Beach
Jones Beach Island
Jones Beach Island is one of the outer barrier islands off the southern coast of Long Island in the U.S. state of New York. It is named for the father of Thomas Jones. It is sometimes referred to as Oak Beach Island, and the former home of the infamous Oak Beach Inn. It is separated from Long...
, and Bridgehampton
Bridgehampton, New York
Bridgehampton is a hamlet in the South Fork of Suffolk County, New York, United States. The population was 1,381 at the 2000 census....
.
Religious beliefs
Beale was raised a Roman CatholicRoman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
by his mother, but was an atheist or nihilist
Nihilism
Nihilism is the philosophical doctrine suggesting the negation of one or more putatively meaningful aspects of life. Most commonly, nihilism is presented in the form of existential nihilism which argues that life is without objective meaning, purpose, or intrinsic value...
in his adulthood. It was Beale's belief that Karl Marx
Karl Marx
Karl Heinrich Marx was a German philosopher, economist, sociologist, historian, journalist, and revolutionary socialist. His ideas played a significant role in the development of social science and the socialist political movement...
"had it right about religion."
Grey Gardens
Despite a successful career in law, Beale was best known for playing an active role in trying to persuade his mother Big Edie and sister Little Edie to vacate and sell their Grey Gardens estate in East Hampton. He and his brother Phelan refused to pay for the home's utilities and upkeep in order to cause the women to leave the dilapidated mansion. After the Suffolk County Health Department raided the mansion on 22 October 1971, Sidney Beckwith of the health department contacted Beale to convey the report of his inspection. Beale responded, “Mr. Beckwith, you’ve described it very well, but it’s nothing new—Mother is the original hippie." After his first cousins Jacqueline Kennedy OnassisJacqueline Kennedy Onassis
Jacqueline Lee Bouvier "Jackie" Kennedy Onassis was the wife of the 35th President of the United States, John F. Kennedy, and served as First Lady of the United States during his presidency from 1961 until his assassination in 1963. Five years later she married Greek shipping magnate Aristotle...
and Lee Radziwill
Lee Radziwill
Caroline Lee Bouvier Canfield Radziwill Ross best known as Lee Radziwill, is an American socialite, public relations executive, and former actress and interior decorator. She is the younger sister of the late First Lady, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis...
came to the aid of Big and Little Edie by having the mansion repaired and cleaned to meet health, sanitation, and building codes, Beale reluctantly paid the back property taxes on the estate.
Death
Beale died on 3 May 1994 in Glen Cove. His funeral service was held at St. Johns Episcopal Church of Lattingtown in Locust Valley on Long Island. His eulogyEulogy
A eulogy is a speech or writing in praise of a person or thing, especially one recently deceased or retired. Eulogies may be given as part of funeral services. However, some denominations either discourage or do not permit eulogies at services to maintain respect for traditions...
was given by his son, Christopher Beale.