John Septimus Becher (1864-1898) plus Helen Becher (1860) and Augusta 'Kitty' Laura Becher (1865-1871)
6. Helen Becher, the 6th child of Septimus Harding Becher and Emily Augusta nee Prinsep, was born 9th August 1860 and baptized 18th October 1860 at Barrackpore and died aged just nine months at Calcut.
7. John "Jack" Septimus Becher M.E. Sc., the 7th son of Septimus Harding Becher and Augusta Emily nee Prinsep, was born 15th October 1864 at Barrackpore but soon afterwards the family went to England and for a time he attended school near Tunbridge Wells.
The Western Australian newspaper reported on 10th January 1899 that:
He had for some months now been completing his studies under professor David at Sydney University, where he made many warm friends, and was to have taken a responsible position in this colony at the beginning of this year. He was employed by the Western Australia Mines Department circa 1896-97. Becher was the temporary Inspector of Mines in Northern Goldfield and took photographs in the course of this work. He was appointed Topographical Surveyor in 1897. In 1898 he took leave of absence and that year published a book titled The Nullagine District, Pilbara Goldfield, Western Australia.
He became engaged to Muriel Faucett Blain who was born in 1876 in NSW, Australia the daughter of Charles Robert Blain and Sarah Michael Brown. His mother recalled that: “My dear Jack, sweetest and most unselfish – with the ball at his feet after many years of hard struggle and about to marry Muriel Blain died at her parent's house, Drummoyne, near Sydney.”
On 11th Sept 1899 Muriel's mother wrote to Mrs Becher from Drummoyne House, Drummoyne:
My dear Mrs Becher,
I have been out at the Waverley Cemetery this afternoon and found the white roses I had planted on Jack’s grave doing splendidly. They were lovely pure white roses from our own garden, and as the soil out there is very sandy, I took a bag of clay to out well around their roots. The two rose-trees are at the foot of the grave, and the rest is just turfed with buffalo grass. Everything is done as you and the General wished, quite simply. And the text you chose is all that is written besides the name and dates. My dear Mrs Becher you know that I will care for it as if it were my very own boy’s; do you not ?
This afternoon I took my colour-box out with me, and enclose you a rough sketch of the sea as I looked at it from Jack’s grave. It will give you an idea of where his dear body was laid. Muriel has never gone out, so I do not urge it. Let her always keep her beautiful thought that Jack is ever near her. She is going away tomorrow to some friends for a few days. I am glad for her to go; for our dear old garden is very full of last year’s memories just now. When this year is ended she will be better; and bodily she is much better now. I was so pleased to hear Mr Francis Power persuaded her to play tennis with him this afternoon. It was the first time since last year. Mr Power has been a real good friend; so we have all grown to like him, not only because he was Jack’s friend, but for his own sake.
Our summer has suddenly burst upon us and I feel sure the General would be delighted if he could take a walk round our garden. I do not suppose you or he will ever see it; but something may bring Margaret to Australia some day and there will always be a welcome awaiting her at Drummoyne. I hope your anxiety about Rob is over, and that his health is quite restored.
Very kind regards to the General in which my husband joins. Believe me.
Yours very sincerely
S.M. Blain.
He died on 21st December 1898 of Bright's disease with pneumonia supervening and was buried at Waverley Cemetery, Sydney.
8. Augusta "Kitty" Laura Becher, the 8th child of Septimus Harding Becher and Emily Augusta nee Prinsep, was born 18th October 1865 at Barrackpore and baptized there on 21st December the same year. She died aged six on 10th December 1871 near Naples.