Name William Beckett | ||
William Beckett (1784 – 26 January 1863) was an English Conservative Party politician.
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Life
Beckett was born in 1784 at Gledhow Hall, Leeds, one of 8 sons and 3 daughters of Sir John Beckett (1743–1846) a banker who later became Mayor of Leeds and a baronet and Mary Wilson. In 1841 he married Frances Ingram and they had no children. He died 26 January 1863 at Brighton.
Career
Beckett was an active partner in his father's bank, Old Bank in Leeds, from 1840 known as Beckett's Bank, from 1805. Upon their father's death, William and his brother Christopher (who also served as Mayor of Leeds) took over the running of the family business. Their running of the bank was noted as both boldly liberal and prudent, saving many customers from embarrassment during the banking crisis of 1825, and he was said to be a model banker. His reputation as a banker caused parliament to seek his comments on the renewal of the charter of the Bank of England in 1832.
He was a Conservative Member of Parliament (MP) for the Yorkshire constituencies of Leeds (1841–1852) and Ripon (1852–1857). The change was occasioned by a split in the party over the Free Trade question,causing him to withdraw as Leeds MP.
Other Activities
His wealth and reputation gave him considerable status within Leeds, and in 1832 he bought an estate called New Grange in Headingley, renaming it Kirkstall Grange. This comprised large house on a hill and an extensive private park. He carried out extensive improvements and remodelling to the house and park, hoping at one point to have Queen Victoria as house guest when she visited Leeds in 1858. This park eventually became Beckett Park, a public park, and the house a building within Leeds Beckett University.