Howard Beckwith Memorial Tablet - Stockport, UK
Posted by: dtrebilc
N 53° 24.564 W 002° 09.773
30U E 555645 N 5918140
This memorial tablet to much decorated Howard Beckwith, Superintendent of the Stockport Fire Brigade, was raised by public subscription after he died on active service in 1926.
Waymark Code: WMQB38
Location: North West England, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 01/26/2016
Views: 3
The plaque is on the side of a retaining wall of a flight of steps from a bridge built in 1826, that carries Wellington Road (A6) over the River Mersey.
These days it is at the entrance to Stockport bus station.
THIS TABLET WAS ERECTED
BY PUBLIC SUBSCRIPTION
IN MEMORY
OF
HOWARD BECKWITH
SUPERINTENDENT OF THE
STOCKPORT FIRE BRIGADE
FROM 11th JUNE 1897
WHO WAS KILLED NEAR THIS PLACE
WHILST PROCEEDING TO A FIRE ON
THE 29th DAY OF DECEMBER 1926
AT THE AGE OF 64 YEARS
DURING HIS CAREER HE WAS AWARDED
THE SILVER MEDAL AND THREE BARS OF THE
LIVERPOOL SHIPWRECK AND HUMANE SOCIETY,
THE BRONZE MEDAL OF THE ROYAL HUMANE SOCIETY,
THE BRONZE MEDAL OF THE R.S.P.C.A;
THE KINGS POLICE AND FIRE BRIGADE MEDAL,
THE LONG SERVICE MEDAL WITH TWO BARS OF THE
ASSOCIATION OF FIRE BRIGADE OFFICERS,
THE MEDALLIONS OF THE ST.JOHN AMBULANCE
ASSOCIATION AND THE ROYAL LIFE SAVING SOCIETY
THESE AWARDS MORE THAN ANY WORDS TESTIFY
TO THE MANY SERVICES WHICH HE GAVE WILLINGLY
BOTH IN HIS PUBLIC AND PRIVATE CAPACITY
WELL DONE THOU GOOD AND FAITHFUL SERVANT
This entry on the Greater Manchester Police Museum Archives tells us what happened.
"Died on 29th December 1926
Police Superintendent Beckwith was the officer in charge of the Stockport Borough Police Fire Brigade. On 29th December 1926 he was a passenger in a fire engine as it left Mersey Square fire station in Stockport, en route to an emergency call. The vehicle left the road and plunged over the parapet of Wellington Bridge on Wellington Road. Police Superintendent Beckwith received fatal injuries.
He was 64." link