Grace's Guide To British Industrial History

Registered UK Charity (No. 115342)

Grace's Guide is the leading source of historical information on industry and manufacturing in Britain. This web publication contains 167,113 pages of information and 246,751 images on early companies, their products and the people who designed and built them.

Grace's Guide is the leading source of historical information on industry and manufacturing in Britain. This web publication contains 147,919 pages of information and 233,587 images on early companies, their products and the people who designed and built them.

William Philip Beech

From Graces Guide

1815 Born in Rotherhithe, son of Thomas and Betsey Beech[1]. Thomas Beech (d.1840) was a foreman at Beatsons for many years.

1851 William P Beech 35, widower, ship broker, lived in Lewisham, with Alice Beech 6, Mary Beech 4, Henrietta Beech 41, and his brother Walter Beech 18, clerk to ship broker[2]

William Beech may have been in occupation of either Pageants Wharf or Upper Globe Wharf

1859 Beech moved and occupied the former Beatson premises at Surrey Canal Wharf, further upstream.

1860 Ship breaker of Surrey Canal Wharf, Rotherhithe[3]

1861 Recognising that recycling of seasoned ships timbers was a market ready to be exploited, Henry Castle teamed up with William Beech to address it, presumably as Henry Castle and Sons, and W. P. Beech.

1861 William P Beech 44, ship owner and ship broker, lived in Lewisham with Eliza C R Beech, 31, William Beech 10, Alice Beech 16, Mary Beech 14, Howard Beech 5, Catherine H Beech 2[4]

1869 Freehold premises adjacent to Bull Head Dock, Rotherhithe, then being used as a Shipbreaker's-yard, with extensive buildings, large dwelling- house, dock and wharfage, had been let on lease expiring in the year 1881, to Mr. W. P. Beech, at £255 per annum[5]

1869 Left the Henry Castle and Sons, and W. P. Beech partnership[6]

1871 William P Buch 54, ship owner and ship broker, lived in Grays, Essex, with Eliza C P Buch 41, Mary Buch 24, Catherine Buch 12, and Peter Howard 83 his Father-in-law[7]

1875 Beech left Surrey Canal Wharf and retired[8]

1885 Died in Sandown

See Also

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Sources of Information

  1. Baptism records
  2. 1851 census
  3. Post Office London Directory<1860
  4. 1861 census
  5. London Gazette 14 May 1869
  6. London Gazette 12 Nov 1869
  7. 1871 census
  8. Southwark Rates Books
  • [1] Castle's history