William Beckett

William Beckett (1784 – 26 January 1863) was an English Conservative politician

Life William Beckett was born in 1784 at Gledhow Hall, Leeds, one of eight sons and three daughters of Sir John Beckett (1743–1846) a banker who later became Mayor of Leeds and a baronet and his wife Mary Wilson. In 1841 Beckett 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, it was known as Beckett's Bank from 1805. On their father's death, William and his brother Christopher (who also served as Mayor of Leeds) took over the family business. Their running of the bank was noted as boldly liberal and prudent, saving many customers from embarrassment during the banking crisis of 1825, and Beckett was said to be a model banker. His banking reputation caused parliament to seek his comments on the renewal of the charter of the Bank of England in 1832.