Robert Arnold Becher
(1873-1938)
Robert Arnold Becher M.I.CE., M.i.Mech.E., the 9th child of Septimus Harding Becher and Augusta Emily, nee Prinsep, was born 11th February 1873 at Barnes, Surrey. His Godfathers were Edward Prinsep, a cousin and friend of his mother's, and Hugo Arnold. He received his early education at Tunbridge Wells and was here with his parents and a Governess in the 1881 Census. He attended Warminster Grammar School up to 1886 and then went to the Zeidler Institute at Dresden, Germany until 1888 and then had tutoring at Épernay, France for the next year. He then went to the Crystal Palace School of Technical Engineering for three terms from 1889-90 and obtained the Diploma and then went up to King’s College, London, where he studied for six terms and attained the degree. At this time he was living with his parents at 10 Queensborough Terrace, Paddington, London.
From 1892 he began a two-year Apprenticeship at Messrs Appleby Brothers, Chatteris Engineering Works, Cambridgeshire. For two years and three months from 1895-7 he was the Assistant Engineer of the Southern Punjab Railway for whom he built Ghagar bridges and was in charge of interlocking signals. He then became Assistant Engineer on the Burma Railways 1898-1903. His chief works were bridges and dams at Thokwandi and Andhara Valley etc. From 1903 he was the Joint Representative of the Southern Mahratta and West of India Portuguese Railway at Mormugao, Goa. On 28th July 1903 he was appointed British Consul in Goa. He resigned on 20th September 1912.
In 1908 he became a member of the Royal Geographic Society and resigned in 1923. In 1921 he became a member of the Institute of Civil Engineering and the Institute of Mechanical Engineering. In 1925 he stayed at the Regent Palace Hotel, Piccadilly, prior to sailing on 8th October from London to Bombay aboard the Devanha. On 4th Sept 1937 he sailed from London aboard the Manela bound for Bombay with his wife Eve and daughter Ellis then 2 months old. Prior to sailing they stayed at 11 Codrington Mews, London W11.
He married three times: Firstly, to Flora Prior Standen on 14th December 1897 at St Peter's, Eastbourne. She was born in 1871 at Surbiton, Surrey the 3rd daughter of Richard Spiers Standen, an Entomologist, of Thorpe Hall, Colchester, and Elizabeth Prior. They divorced on 9th March 1914. She subsequently remarried Harry David Sinclair in Bombay and died in 1954.
There was one son:
From 1892 he began a two-year Apprenticeship at Messrs Appleby Brothers, Chatteris Engineering Works, Cambridgeshire. For two years and three months from 1895-7 he was the Assistant Engineer of the Southern Punjab Railway for whom he built Ghagar bridges and was in charge of interlocking signals. He then became Assistant Engineer on the Burma Railways 1898-1903. His chief works were bridges and dams at Thokwandi and Andhara Valley etc. From 1903 he was the Joint Representative of the Southern Mahratta and West of India Portuguese Railway at Mormugao, Goa. On 28th July 1903 he was appointed British Consul in Goa. He resigned on 20th September 1912.
In 1908 he became a member of the Royal Geographic Society and resigned in 1923. In 1921 he became a member of the Institute of Civil Engineering and the Institute of Mechanical Engineering. In 1925 he stayed at the Regent Palace Hotel, Piccadilly, prior to sailing on 8th October from London to Bombay aboard the Devanha. On 4th Sept 1937 he sailed from London aboard the Manela bound for Bombay with his wife Eve and daughter Ellis then 2 months old. Prior to sailing they stayed at 11 Codrington Mews, London W11.
He married three times: Firstly, to Flora Prior Standen on 14th December 1897 at St Peter's, Eastbourne. She was born in 1871 at Surbiton, Surrey the 3rd daughter of Richard Spiers Standen, an Entomologist, of Thorpe Hall, Colchester, and Elizabeth Prior. They divorced on 9th March 1914. She subsequently remarried Harry David Sinclair in Bombay and died in 1954.
There was one son:
Brigadier William 'Bill' Prinsep St John Becher CBE was born on 23rd June 1910 at Chelsea, London. He was educated Oundle School near Peterborough from September 1924 to July 1928. He entered the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich, and was commissioned into the Royal Artillery on 30th January 1930. His other promotions were: Lieutenant 30th January 1933; Captain 1st August 1938. He was awarded the CBE in 1963.
It was while he was a subaltern that some time after midnight on 1st April 1931, driving from Shoeburyness to Woolwich, when he began to fall asleep while passing through Blackwall Tunnel. He recalled coming to a stop at the side of the road, climbing out through the sunroof, and had then fallen asleep. Unluckily for him, a constable happened to see him as he passed by and noted that he appeared to be travelling between 25 and 30mph and also observed that the car had struck a kerb and turned over. In June the case came to court at Romford. He submitted that as there was no other traffic about and it was a beautiful moonlight night and driving in these circumstances it became a more or less subconscious act, as his mind was diverted by the lights of other cars. He also submitted that the driver of a car could not prevent himself from going to sleep, beyond taking precautions. It was a misadventure rather than a malicious act, and he was in complete possession of his faculties when he passed the constable. He was fined 20/- (equivalent to about £5 today) with the Chairman saying that the fine would not affect his licence.
He married Mary Beatrice Walker, pictured left in later years, pictured left in later years, on 20th 1938 at St Paul and St Mary's Church, Camberley, Surrey. She was born 11th April 1914 at Woolwich the daughter of Colonel John Barry Walker DSO R.A. (the son of Francis Blennerhassett Walker) and Sarah Beatrice Bond. Mary died March 13th 2008 aged 95 at Southampton General Hospital after 3 falls in one week at her home. Bill Becher died 7th April 1999 near the New Forest, Hampshire.
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It was while he was a subaltern that some time after midnight on 1st April 1931, driving from Shoeburyness to Woolwich, when he began to fall asleep while passing through Blackwall Tunnel. He recalled coming to a stop at the side of the road, climbing out through the sunroof, and had then fallen asleep. Unluckily for him, a constable happened to see him as he passed by and noted that he appeared to be travelling between 25 and 30mph and also observed that the car had struck a kerb and turned over. In June the case came to court at Romford. He submitted that as there was no other traffic about and it was a beautiful moonlight night and driving in these circumstances it became a more or less subconscious act, as his mind was diverted by the lights of other cars. He also submitted that the driver of a car could not prevent himself from going to sleep, beyond taking precautions. It was a misadventure rather than a malicious act, and he was in complete possession of his faculties when he passed the constable. He was fined 20/- (equivalent to about £5 today) with the Chairman saying that the fine would not affect his licence.
He married Mary Beatrice Walker, pictured left in later years, pictured left in later years, on 20th 1938 at St Paul and St Mary's Church, Camberley, Surrey. She was born 11th April 1914 at Woolwich the daughter of Colonel John Barry Walker DSO R.A. (the son of Francis Blennerhassett Walker) and Sarah Beatrice Bond. Mary died March 13th 2008 aged 95 at Southampton General Hospital after 3 falls in one week at her home. Bill Becher died 7th April 1999 near the New Forest, Hampshire.
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Robert married secondly, Julia Marie 'Ardenne' Louise Biggs née Kendall (1876 Totnes-24th December 1960 Sussex) on 18th December 1914 at Bombay. She was the daughter of John Jennings Kendall and former wife of Albert Ashley Biggs until they divorced on 20th July 1914. She later married Ralph E. Stace in Worthing in June 1937 and died in 1960. Robert Arnold and Julia divorced on 26th April 1937.
In the early 1930s Robert and his second wife, Julia, and a friend of theirs, Ralph Stace, were running Marigolds, a small hotel in Rustington, Sussex and in 1934 his third wife-to-be, Eve, came to spend Easter there with her mother and this is how they first met.
Robert married, thirdly, Evelyn 'Eve' Mabel Owen in 1937 at Kensington, London. Much later, she recalled that soon after their first daughter was born that year, Rob accepted a contract with the Hindustan Construction Company for work in Bombay and they duly embarked on 6th August 1937 aboard the P & O Line's Chitral. When the contract ended they went to Kashmir for a holiday mainly because Rob wanted to show his wife a lovely part of the country. Unfortunately, the altitude was no good for Rob and he had a light stroke and moved down to Calcutta where there was the prospect of another contract though in the end it came to nothing. Meanwhile, with war clouds gathering in Europe, Rob became convinced war would break out so the family decided to move to Melbourne where Eve was born and where her family lived and they had a bungalow in Croydon about twenty miles outside Melbourne. They had only been there six weeks when Rob died suddenly on 7th December 1938. He was cremated and his ashes repatriated and buried in his parents' grave at Brookwood Cemetery, Surrey. Eve died 2nd September 2007 at Southampton General Hospital aged 95 and her ashes were interred with those of her beloved husband in the Becher family grave at Brookwood Cemetery, Surrey, the following day. There were two daughters.
In the early 1930s Robert and his second wife, Julia, and a friend of theirs, Ralph Stace, were running Marigolds, a small hotel in Rustington, Sussex and in 1934 his third wife-to-be, Eve, came to spend Easter there with her mother and this is how they first met.
Robert married, thirdly, Evelyn 'Eve' Mabel Owen in 1937 at Kensington, London. Much later, she recalled that soon after their first daughter was born that year, Rob accepted a contract with the Hindustan Construction Company for work in Bombay and they duly embarked on 6th August 1937 aboard the P & O Line's Chitral. When the contract ended they went to Kashmir for a holiday mainly because Rob wanted to show his wife a lovely part of the country. Unfortunately, the altitude was no good for Rob and he had a light stroke and moved down to Calcutta where there was the prospect of another contract though in the end it came to nothing. Meanwhile, with war clouds gathering in Europe, Rob became convinced war would break out so the family decided to move to Melbourne where Eve was born and where her family lived and they had a bungalow in Croydon about twenty miles outside Melbourne. They had only been there six weeks when Rob died suddenly on 7th December 1938. He was cremated and his ashes repatriated and buried in his parents' grave at Brookwood Cemetery, Surrey. Eve died 2nd September 2007 at Southampton General Hospital aged 95 and her ashes were interred with those of her beloved husband in the Becher family grave at Brookwood Cemetery, Surrey, the following day. There were two daughters.