Roger Beck (1841-1923)
Roger Beck was born in Isleworth (Middlesex) the son of Susanna (1809 - ) and Edward Beck (1804-1861). Edward Beck was a wharfinger (which probably meant that he also owned a dock or docks) and employed 27 men.[1]
According to the 1851 census Roger Beck had 6 brothers and 2 sisters. Then probably in 1861 he and his brother Walter, took over his father's firm following the death of their father in early 1861. Roger and Walter probably sold the company because by 1871 Walter was retired and Roger was the owner of a Building Materials Merchant employing 25 men and 4 boys. From there he somehow became involved in the tin-plate trade[2] and as a result of his business ventures came to know Col. John Roper Wright (1843-1926) and Isaac Butler (1837-1917). Subsequently Beck would become active in local politics and was a staunch member of the Conservative Party in Wales.[3]
So far as I can tell Beck’s involvement in South Wales dates back to at least 1877 when he was involved in setting up the new forge at the Bury Tin-plate Works, [4] Roger Beck was also the brother of Marcus Beck (1843-1893) Professor of Surgery at University College Hospital (London) and subsequently contributed funds to the a library in memory of his brother.[5]
See Also
- [1] Roger Beck bio
Sources of Information
- Parry, S., 2011, History of the Steel Industry in the Port Talbot Area 1900-1988. University of Leeds, School of History; PhD
- Sakula, A., 1985, Marcus Beck Library: who was Marcus Beck. Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine, Vol. 78. December 1985, pp.1047-1049