Elizabeth and Mayme Beckett
William Beckett married Elizabeth Reed on June 1, 1869. About ten years his junior, Elizabeth hailed originally from an area now considered West Virginia. For most of their marriage, they lived in the house at 1628 M Street NW.
William and Elizabeth Beckett had only one child, Mayme, born in 1873. Though Elizabeth would eventually leave the family home, she remained in the District until her death in 1927. Similarly, Mayme would remain in Washington all her life, passing away in 1975 at the age of 102.
Mayme Beckett (Francis A. Gregory Genealogical Collection, The Peoples’ Archive, DC Public Library)
Elizabeth Beckett (Francis A. Gregory Genealogical Collection, The Peoples’ Archive, DC Public Library)
Throughout their lives, both Elizabeth and Mayme Beckett demonstrated an enormous amount of love and respect for their husband and father. For years they posted regular notices in the Evening Star newspaper, commemorating the anniversary of William Beckett’s death.