Career
He was a Manchester Solicitor by profession in the firm of Hockin, Beckton & Hockin. Beckton began to collect stamps as a boy in 1879. Beckton was one of the Manchester School of philately which advocated the scientific study of all aspects of stamp production including paper, watermark, printing and perforation.
He was President of the Manchester Philatelic Society for thirty-five years consecutively.
He joined The Royal Philatelic Society London in February 1892, eventually becoming President of that society from 1929 until his death in 1931. He was also Vice-President of the International Philatelic Union.
He wrote extensively on philately and was a regular contributor to the Philatelic Journal of Great Britain and other philatelic periodicals. Beckton"s death was unexpected, reportedly from "angina pectoris", over the night of 17–18 March 1931 while he was still President of The Royal.
His collection of philatelic literature of over 900 volumes was donated to the Manchester public library in 1934 where it is still available as the Beckton Philatelic Library.
His collection of Greece was auctioned by Hassaram Rijhumal Harmer in two sales of 1935 and 1936. (with G Duerst).
