Ossett Observer and T R Beckett

[Eastbourner]

I'd be very grateful for help from Ossett researchers, as I am down south in Eastbourne.  I'm putting together a local history society piece about Thomas Richard Beckett, who owned and ran the Eastbourne Gazette very successfully  from 1871 till 1908, when his sons took over. His Gazette obituary in 1915 stated that he and his brother (I think called Jarret) had founded 'a weekly journal in Yorkshire which is still flourishing and recently issued a special number to celebrate its fiftieth birthday.'
His granddaughter has just told me this was in Ossett so I think it must be the Ossett Observer, founded in 1864. I see Ossett library has copies on microfilm but  haven't yet contacted them.
TR Beckett came from the East Riding (born North Frodingham 1843, family lived in Driffield) and married Martha Lockwood (daughter of a wool manufacturer, Charles Lockwood, of Linthwaite), perhaps as a result of moving to Ossett.  His eldest son Arthur and daughter Clara were born in Ossett, further confirmation of his time there.
If anyone can quote any document confirming that the Becketts did found the newspaper that would be very helpful, as would any other details at all.
Thanks!

[CaroleW]

Hi and welcome to Rootschat

1871 census Dale St Ossett with Gawthorpe

Jane Beckett 70 widow b Frodingham
Jarrett R 31 son                         ditto
Thomas Richard 27  son            ditto
Janet Currie 13 servant b Dumfries

Both Thomas & Jarrett are shown as -  printer, stationer & publisher of Ossett Observer employing 4 boys (apprentices)

RG10 Piece 4609 Folio 58 Page 26

[Eastbourner]

Thank you very much indeed, Carole - don't know how I missed that one as I have all the other census returns for TRB but I'll get straight back on to retrieve it!  That's very helpful and completely confirms the story.

If anyone looks at the early Ossett Observer microfilms regularly and spots any mention of them I'd love to hear about it - perhaps in the 50th birthday issue of 1914.  In Eastbourne TRB's financial success was founded on local advertising in the paper but the Gazette was also quite lively. The OO must have had some good subsequent editors to have lasted so long.

[Nevthedigger]

Hi, being an Ossett historian, and just this morning been leafing through the Observers on microfilm, I may be able to help ...
I am just about to leave the house now, but I will get what info I have tonight for you. The Observer was sold to S. Cockburn, that's all I can remember but I am sure I have something in my files from the 1964 (100th anniversary) edition.

[Eastbourner]

Thank you very much -  I'll be grateful for anything, even if in a few days. 
When I looked at the 1871 census after Carole's message I was interested to see that next door was a pub run by John Lockwood.  TR Beckett's wife was Martha, daughter of Charles Lockwood of Linthwaite. They married in 1871 I think, after the census, and their first two children Arthur and Alice were born there 1872 and 1873.  He didn't leave for Eastbourne till 1873 (not 1871 as I said before - a source I used was wrong, I now think.)
Jarrett's wife was Sarah, also born in Linthwaite, and I wondered if they were sisters as Martha did have a sister Sarah.  There do seem to be a lot of Lockwoods in the area so maybe it's just coincidence but if you happen to see anything...!

[CaroleW]

Hi

1891 shows Sarah b 1847 Linthwaite

Have a look at this 1851 entry - parents Charles & Betty - Charles was a woollen manufacturer

HO107 Piece 2296 Folio 246 Page 8

[Nevthedigger]

John Lockwood was landlord of the Bull's Head in 1870, but by 1873 he was gone. See here for a pic of the pub ... http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,189815.msg2886067.html#msg2886067

I have nothing from the 1964 100th edition of the Ossett Observer other than references (meaning a trip to the library... ) but I have some earlier notes which I will dig out and blow the dust off shortly ...

[Eastbourner]

Carole, yes, sorry I didn't think I should post all the details but maybe I should have - that and the 1861 census records were the reason I thought they might be sisters, because Charles and Betty are definitely the parents of Thomas Beckett's wife Martha, and the older daughter Sarah exactly fits the details in later censuses for Jarrett's wife Sarah.
The only thing is I haven't found the last piece of the jigsaw that would prove 100% that her surname was Lockwood too -  although I have just now found something that very nearly proves it: the son of Jarrett and Sarah born in 1879 was called Charles Lockwood Beckett, just as Thomas and Martha had a son called Reginald Lockwood Beckett.  His full name was Jarrett Rudston Beckett (what great names the Victorians had) and they married in 1876.  I have occasionally come across people giving children that weren't their own family's but a close friend's, but this looks pretty significant to me.
 I'm not very good with online marriage records - when they only give the man's surname how do you find the wife's? I am not doing any exhaustive family tree for this family but this is a nice little story, if it's right.

[Eastbourner]

Nev - so the founders of the Ossett Observer lived next to a rowdy pub! I've been back to the 1841 census to see if  Charles Lockwood had a brother called John but he doesn't seem to have had, and as I said there are quite a few Lockwoods around.  How the Becketts came to move to Ossett I don't know. Thomas came down to the south coast because Martha's brother William had become Medical Officer for Worthing and they came down to visit.  And later Jarrett came down to Somerset. 
A story involving the pub would be nice.  However, I mustn't make you do too much work when my main focus has to be Eastbourne.  I'm already very pleased to have got the Ossett Observer bit clear. Also, if you don't find anything now but something crops up later as you are an Ossett historian, I'd still be really interested.  Thank you.