Sir Gervase Beckett, 1st Baronet

Sir William Gervase Beckett, 1st Baronet (14 January 1866 – 24 August 1937), born William Gervase Beckett-Denison, was a British banker and Conservative politician.

Beckett was the son of William Beckett-Denison MP. He was educated at Eton College and joined the family banking business, Beckett & Co, in Leeds. After the firm was taken over by the Westminster Bank he joined the bank's board. He was also chairman of the "Yorkshire Post" and proprietor and editor of the "Saturday Review". His elder brother, Ernest, succeeded his uncle as 2nd Baron Grimthorpe in 1905 and Beckett was granted the precedence of a baron's son and the right to use the style "The Honourable".

He was elected at the 1906 general election as Member of Parliament for Whitby. When that constituency was abolished for the 1918 general election, he was returned for the new Scarborough and Whitby constituency. He lost his seat at the 1922 general election, but returned to the House of Commons at the 1923 general election as Member of Parliament for Leeds North, and held that seat until he retired from Parliament at the 1929 election.

Beckett was commissioned a Lieutenant in the 3rd (Militia) Battalion, Green Howards in 1884, [LondonGazette |issue=25349 |date=2 May 1884 |startpage=1983] but resigned his commission in 1886. [LondonGazette |issue=25646 |date=19 November 1886 |startpage=5599] He was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the Yorkshire Hussars in 1888 [LondonGazette |issue=25776 |date=13 January 1888 |startpage=361] . He was promoted Lieutenant in 1895 [LondonGazette |issue=26621 |date=3 May 1895 |startpage=2555] and Captain in 1898, [LondonGazette |issue=26996 |date=16 August 1898 |startpage=4939] and resigned his commission in 1901 [LondonGazette |issue=27311 |date=7 May 1901 |startpage=3132] During the First World War he returned to service as Assistant Military Secretary of Northern Command from 1914 [LondonGazette |issue=29082 |date=23 February 1915 |startpage=1952|supp=yes] to 1916. [LondonGazette |issue=29621 |date=13 June 1916 |startpage=5829] He was Assistant Director of the Department of War Trade from 1918 to 1919.

He was created a baronet in the 1921 Birthday Honours, [LondonGazette |issue=32346 |date=4 June 1921 |startpage=4530 |endpage= |supp=yes] as Sir Gervase Beckett, 1st Baronet Beckett, of Kirkdale Manor in the County of Yorkshire.

Beckett's third daughter, Beatrice, married Anthony Eden.

Footnotes

References

*Rayment-b
*Obituary, "The Times", 25 August 1937
*