Ossett Observer and T R Beckett

[Nevthedigger]

I live and breathe Ossett's history, I will happily share with you all I have, or can find. Lockwood is a known name in Ossett in the 1800's, but Beckett is not - I assume it was a family who moved into the area to start off a local rag ... ? There was a Beckett family in Dewsbury in the 1800's that I know of - maybe a connection.
I will have a look tomorrow (thurs) and see if I can find more for you.

[Eastbourner]

Thank you !  Here's what I know about the Becketts.  In the 1851 census their father (also Thomas) was a tea dealer in Driffield, in 1861 he was a butcher, the family story is he was a farmer (which he could have been as well, of course). Mother was Jane. All born Great Driffield or North Frodingham.  Family story is that TR went to Manchester Grammar School. By 1861 TR aged 18, living at home, was described as a printer/compositor.  Jarratt, aged 22, wasn't there - must check where he was.  I think he was in Ossett before TR. (I keep spelling his name wrong. I think it was Jarratt - the most common spelling in the records.)  As I mentioned, I can't do too much on the family connections but it would be great to find out what took them to Ossett.  TR's obituary in 1915 said he 'gained valuable newspaper experience in important offices in Yorkshire and Lancashire'. 
Another local story whose source I haven't found is that his father-in-law, Charles Lockwood, lent him the money to buy the Eastbourne Gazette in 1873.  There might be marriage and birth (Arthur, Clara) announcements for TR in his own papers -1871,2,3?

[Eastbourner]

PS to my last - the 1861 entry for TR's elder brother Jarratt Beckett, aged 21, gives no clue as to his departure for Ossett in the next three or four years to start the Observer, as he was a grocer's assistant in Driffield.

[Nevthedigger]

I was in the local history part of Ossett library this morning, and while I was there I took these two for you, from the first issue of the Ossett Observer, I just thought they may be of interest:

[Eastbourner]

Thank you very much indeed.  Authentic bits like these are very exciting somehow even when they are just ads - and how interesting that Jarratt was still doing tea, like his father in Driffield 20 years earlier.  What was the date of that first issue of the Ossett Observer?
Now all I need to work out is how to save or print them...my computer skills need a lot of improvement.  I am going to see Thomas Beckett's granddaughter again tomorrow (she's 93) and I think she'll be thrilled if I can show her these.

[Nevthedigger]

I forget the exact date, but it was July 1864. Sold to Cockburn in 1870. Glad you liked them!

[Eastbourner]

I'm afraid this may be the slowest-ever reply to a post, and I only hope Nevthedigger is still around on this forum, nearly eight years later!  Many apologies, I don't know how that happened.  Other things and other research topics got in the way and I am only now writing up my notes. 

I am puzzled that you say they sold the Ossett Observer to Cockburn in 1970, yet are recorded on the 1871 census as publishers of the paper.  Also there's no doubt TR Beckett didn't take over the Eastbourne Gazette till January 1874, and his daughter was born in Ossett in the same month so the family had not yet moved south.  Does anyone know anything about that period?  I suppose it's possible they had sold up but were still managing and editing the paper.

[Eastbourner]

I was notified of a very interesting reply about the Becketts here by Anne Marie66, had to reset my password to get back on here to reply and now it's mysteriously disappeared. Hope you'll come back!