BRITISH COLUMBIA ARTISTS  

Mrs. Beckingsale
(nee Amy Florence Smith, m Daniel Loftus Beckingsale MD)

November 27 1853 - April 27 1916

Vancouver Art Association (Member, Exhibition and Reception & Entertainment committees, 1889)


Mrs. Beckingsale was a founding member in 1889 of the first important art organization in Vancouver, the Vancouver Art Association. She was also on two committees in 1889, and loaned a painting to the 1890 exhibition.

She was born in England, and was married to Dr. Beckingsale (b Isle of Wight c1846). Their son John Edgar Beckingsale was born in Vancouver on November 17, 1886. He would have been one of the earliest births in the City of Vancouver, which was incorporated in April that year. The family had just moved from Nelson, where Dr. Beckingsale registered with the British Columbia Medical Council on August 21, 1886. His qualification was noted as "M.D.C.M., Univ.Edinburgh, 1872."

John Edgar's birth certificate is quite interesting. It was filled out by his father in 1920, when the son would have been 34 years old. His father was the doctor attending his birth, as well the person filling in and witnessing the certificate. It notes Mrs. Beckingsale's maiden name and death in 1916 as well as his own age (74) and address in London, England (1920). The form also noted that her 2 children were dead. Their son John Edgar became a Lieutenant in the British army and was killed in action at Ypres in WWI.

On May 17 1887 Mrs. Beckingsale performed "Will He Come" by Sir A. Sullivan at the Second Concert of the Vancouver Madrigal and Dramatic Society at the Methodist Hall. A published "Book of Words" accompanying the event was available for purchase for ten cents, printed by the News Advertiser.


Benjamin Springer's residence, 1888. Dr. & Mrs. Beckingsale are in this photograph watching a tennis game.
The Doctor is possibly the man on the right, Amy is possibly the woman with white hat in chair looking down.
Photograph courtesy City of Vancouver Archives.

In 1888 Dr. Beckingsale was listed as one of 7 doctors authorized to practice in Vancouver. In 1889 he was listed as the Dominion Government Quarantine Officer in Vancouver. He was also a member of the St. George's Society, I.O.O.F., A.O.F. Coast Lodge in 1889, and a Fellow Craft Mason. The 1890 Vancouver City Directory has a listing for "BECKINGSALE DONALD LOFTUS, M.D., 109 Cambie, res Georgia nr Howe. Tel office 33, tel res 186" but no others by that last name.

In July 1890 Dr. Beckingsale was one of the Trustees of the Crow's Bar Mining Company, "The company is formed to acquire and work for gold and their minerals." They acquired property on a bench beside the Fraser River north of Lillooet. For some reason they could not use the river water for mining operations, and started to build an 11-mile long ditch to bring water to the property. An article noted that they had built 3 miles of it but were working to get more funding.

Amy Beckingsale was killed in 1916 when a train hit the car she was traveling in at Ontario, San Bernardino County, California.


GROUP EXHIBITIONS
DATE EXHIBITION ARTWORK

References

B.C. VITAL STATISTICS ON-LINE son's birth & baptism (refer to BCVS)

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/15572555/amy_florence_beckingsale

Clippings

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