William Beckett-Denison

Who was William Beckett-Denison?

William Beckett-Denison was an English banker and Conservative politician who sat in the House of Commons in two periods between 1876 and 1890. He died when he fell under a train.

Beckett was the son of Sir Edmund Beckett, 4th Baronet, of Grimthorpe, Yorkshire and his wife Maria Beverley, daughter of William Beverley. He was head of banking firm of Beckett & Co at Leeds, Doncaster and Retford, and of the East Riding Bank at Beverley and Malton. He was a captain in the Yorkshire Hussar Yeomanry Cavalry and a J.P. and Deputy Lieutenant for the West Riding of Yorkshire.

In 1876 Beckett was elected Member of Parliament for East Retford but lost the seat in 1880. At the 1885 general election he was elected MP for Bassetlaw. He held the seat until his death in 1890.

Beckett died at the age of 64 when he fell under a train at Wimborne. He had arrived at Wimborne railway station to change trains for Bournemouth, and while waiting went for a walk. He was walking beside the track on the way back to the station when a strong wind blew his hat off and he fell almost immediately under the train. His body was cut to pieces and carried some 56 feet.

Beckett married the Hon. Helen Duncombe, daughter of William Duncombe, 2nd Baron Feversham in 1855. They were the parents of Sir Gervase Beckett, 1st Baronet. Following his death a Mrs Gertrude Beatrice Brinkworth alleged she was his mistress and mother of his adopted children and sued his executors. Some money was paid but the case came before court and the jury declared Mrs Brinkworth's case to be a 'swindle' and rejected her claims even before the evidence in the case had been completed.