Edmund Beckett, 1st Baron Grimthorpe, KC (12 May 1816 – 29 April 1905), known previously as Sir Edmund Beckett, 5th Baronet and Edmund Beckett Denison, was a "lawyer, mechanician and controversialist"[1] as well as a noted horologist and architect.
Beckett began practising law in 1841 at Lincoln's Inn. He was made a Queen's Counsel in 1854, retiring in 1881.[2] He was elected to the Royal Astronomical Society in 1866. He was elected to the presidency of the British Horological Institute in 1868, a position he accepted on the condition that he should not be asked to attend dinners.[3] He was re-elected annually until his death.[1] In 1877 he was appointed Chancellor and Vicar-General of the Diocese of York.[2] He was created Baron Grimthorpe in 1886. He is sometimes known as Edmund Beckett Denison; his father had taken the additional name Denison in 1816, but the son dropped it on his father's death in 1874. He married Fanny Catherine (23 February 1823 – 8 December 1901), daughter of John Lonsdale, 89th Bishop of Lichfield.
In 1851, he designed the mechanism for the clock of the Palace of Westminster (the Houses of Parliament in London), responsible for the chimes of Big Ben.
He was also responsible throughout the 1880s and 1890s for rebuilding the west front, roof, and transept windows of St Albans Cathedral at his own expense. Although the building had been in need of repair (and indeed considerable work had already been done since 1856 under the guidance of Sir George Gilbert Scott until his death in 1878, including making the central tower safe, correcting the listing of the south side of the nave, and reconstructing the shrine of Saint Alban), popular opinion at the time held that he had changed the cathedral's character, even inspiring the creation and temporary popularity of the verb "to grimthorpe", meaning to carry out unsympathetic restorations of ancient buildings.[5] Part of Beckett's additions included statues of the four evangelists around the western door; the statue of St Matthew has Beckett's face. He later turned his attentions to St Peter's and then to St Michael's churches, both in the same city. He lived at Batchwood Hall from where he oversaw the restoration work on the cathedral.[6]
He died on 29 April 1905 after a fall, and is buried in the grounds of St Albans Cathedral. His obituary in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society noted his mastery of ecclesiastical law, his publications (ranging from Astronomy without Mathematics to Clocks, Watches, and Bells (1903) to Building, Civil and Ecclesiastical) and noted "there was not a better locksmith in England."[2]
Quotation
St Chad's Church, Far Headingley
"I am the only architect with whom I have never quarrelled."
Religious publications
Six Letters on Dr. Todd's Discourses on the Prophecies Relating to Antichrist in the Apocalypse (1848)
On the Origin of the Laws of Nature (1880)
Should the Revised New Testament be Authorised? (1882)
The Life of John Lonsdale, Bishop of Lichfield With Some of His Writings (1868)
A Review of Hume and Huxley on Miracles (1883)
Other works
Astronomy Without Mathematics (1871)
Arms
Coat of arms of Edmund Beckett, 1st Baron Grimthorpe
Crest
A boar’s head couped Or pierced by a cross patée fitchée erect Gules.
Escutcheon
Gules a fess between three boars' heads couped Erminois.
Supporters
Two sangliers Erminois each gorged with a collar and pendant therefrom an escutcheon Gules charged with a cross patée fitchée Or.
^ ab Sanders, Lloyd Charles (1912). "Beckett, Edmund" . Dictionary of National Biography (2nd supplement). London: Smith, Elder & Co. pp. 121–124.
^ abcde "Obituary Notices: Fellows:- Grimthorpe, Lord.", Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 66: 174–176, February 1906, Bibcode:1906MNRAS..66S.174., doi:10.1093/mnras/66.4.174b
^ Ferriday, Peter (1957), Lord Grimthorpe, 1816–1905, London: John Murray Ltd., p. 63, OCLC 250668435
^Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Grimthorpe, Edmund Beckett, 1st Baron" . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 12 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 604.
^Benerjee, Jacqueline. "St Albans Cathedral and Abbey Church, Hertfordshire: A Case History in Victorian Restoration". The Victorian Web. Retrieved 18 January 2008. While the verb "to Grimthorpe" entered the English language of the time as a pejorative term for such insensitive "restoration," ...
^"Batchwood Hall". St Albans and Hertfordshire Architectural and Archaeological History Society. Retrieved 12 November 2017.
edmund, beckett, baron, grimthorpe, 1816, april, 1905, known, previously, edmund, beckett, baronet, edmund, beckett, denison, lawyer, mechanician, controversialist, well, noted, horologist, architect, right, honourablethe, lord, grimthorpekcbornedmund, mackenz. Edmund Beckett 1st Baron Grimthorpe KC 12 May 1816 29 April 1905 known previously as Sir Edmund Beckett 5th Baronet and Edmund Beckett Denison was a lawyer mechanician and controversialist 1 as well as a noted horologist and architect The Right HonourableThe Lord GrimthorpeKCBornEdmund Mackenzie Sidmouth Beckett Denison 1816 05 12 12 May 1816Carlton on Trent NottinghamshireDied29 April 1905 1905 04 29 aged 88 Batchwood Hall St AlbansNationalityBritishEducationDoncaster Grammar School Eton CollegeAlma materTrinity College CambridgeOccupation s Parliamentary barrister mechanic architect Contents 1 Biography 2 Quotation 3 Religious publications 4 Other works 5 Arms 6 References 7 External linksBiography EditBeckett was born at Carlton Hall near Newark Nottinghamshire England and was the eldest son of Sir Edmund Beckett 4th Baronet MP for the West Riding of Yorkshire 2 He was educated at Doncaster Grammar School for Boys briefly then Eton and went on to read mathematics at Trinity College Cambridge where he graduated in the 1838 Tripos with the rank of 30th Wrangler 2 Bells Baron Grimthorpe as caricatured by Spy Leslie Ward in Vanity Fair February 1889 Beckett began practising law in 1841 at Lincoln s Inn He was made a Queen s Counsel in 1854 retiring in 1881 2 He was elected to the Royal Astronomical Society in 1866 He was elected to the presidency of the British Horological Institute in 1868 a position he accepted on the condition that he should not be asked to attend dinners 3 He was re elected annually until his death 1 In 1877 he was appointed Chancellor and Vicar General of the Diocese of York 2 He was created Baron Grimthorpe in 1886 He is sometimes known as Edmund Beckett Denison his father had taken the additional name Denison in 1816 but the son dropped it on his father s death in 1874 He married Fanny Catherine 23 February 1823 8 December 1901 daughter of John Lonsdale 89th Bishop of Lichfield In 1851 he designed the mechanism for the clock of the Palace of Westminster the Houses of Parliament in London responsible for the chimes of Big Ben In 1868 he worked with W H Crossland to design St Chad s Church Far Headingley in Leeds on land given by his family The Trinity College Clock mechanism was designed by Lord Grimthorpe 4 He was also responsible throughout the 1880s and 1890s for rebuilding the west front roof and transept windows of St Albans Cathedral at his own expense Although the building had been in need of repair and indeed considerable work had already been done since 1856 under the guidance of Sir George Gilbert Scott until his death in 1878 including making the central tower safe correcting the listing of the south side of the nave and reconstructing the shrine of Saint Alban popular opinion at the time held that he had changed the cathedral s character even inspiring the creation and temporary popularity of the verb to grimthorpe meaning to carry out unsympathetic restorations of ancient buildings 5 Part of Beckett s additions included statues of the four evangelists around the western door the statue of St Matthew has Beckett s face He later turned his attentions to St Peter s and then to St Michael s churches both in the same city He lived at Batchwood Hall from where he oversaw the restoration work on the cathedral 6 He died on 29 April 1905 after a fall and is buried in the grounds of St Albans Cathedral His obituary in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society noted his mastery of ecclesiastical law his publications ranging from Astronomy without Mathematics to Clocks Watches and Bells 1903 to Building Civil and Ecclesiastical and noted there was not a better locksmith in England 2 Quotation Edit St Chad s Church Far Headingley I am the only architect with whom I have never quarrelled Religious publications EditSix Letters on Dr Todd s Discourses on the Prophecies Relating to Antichrist in the Apocalypse 1848 On the Origin of the Laws of Nature 1880 Should the Revised New Testament be Authorised 1882 The Life of John Lonsdale Bishop of Lichfield With Some of His Writings 1868 A Review of Hume and Huxley on Miracles 1883 Other works EditAstronomy Without Mathematics 1871 Arms EditCoat of arms of Edmund Beckett 1st Baron Grimthorpe Crest A boar s head couped Or pierced by a cross patee fitchee erect Gules Escutcheon Gules a fess between three boars heads couped Erminois Supporters Two sangliers Erminois each gorged with a collar and pendant therefrom an escutcheon Gules charged with a cross patee fitchee Or Motto Prodesse Civibus To Serve The State 7 References Edit a b Sanders Lloyd Charles 1912 Beckett Edmund Dictionary of National Biography 2nd supplement London Smith Elder amp Co pp 121 124 a b c d e Obituary Notices Fellows Grimthorpe Lord Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society 66 174 176 February 1906 Bibcode 1906MNRAS 66S 174 doi 10 1093 mnras 66 4 174b Ferriday Peter 1957 Lord Grimthorpe 1816 1905 London John Murray Ltd p 63 OCLC 250668435 Chisholm Hugh ed 1911 Grimthorpe Edmund Beckett 1st Baron Encyclopaedia Britannica Vol 12 11th ed Cambridge University Press p 604 Benerjee Jacqueline St Albans Cathedral and Abbey Church Hertfordshire A Case History in Victorian Restoration The Victorian Web Retrieved 18 January 2008 While the verb to Grimthorpe entered the English language of the time as a pejorative term for such insensitive restoration Batchwood Hall St Albans and Hertfordshire Architectural and Archaeological History Society Retrieved 12 November 2017 Debrett s Peerage 1921 External links Edit The grave of Lord Grimthorpe outside St Albans Cathedral Works by or about Edmund Beckett 1st Baron Grimthorpe at Wikisource Media related to Edmund Beckett 1st Baron Grimthorpe at Wikimedia Commons Works by Edmund Beckett Grimthorpe at Project Gutenberg Works by or about Edmund Beckett Denison at Internet Archive Works by or about Edmund Beckett at Internet Archive Edmund Beckett 1st Baron Grimthorpe at Find a GravePeerage of the United KingdomNew creation Baron Grimthorpe1886 1905 Succeeded byErnest William BeckettBaronetage of the United KingdomPreceded byEdmund Beckett Baronet of Leeds 1874 1905 Succeeded byErnest William Beckett Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Edmund Beckett 1st Baron Grimthorpe amp oldid 1123600681, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
