Birth

Enlistment Information

Military Service

Embarkation Information

Military Awards

Death

Biographical Notes

John Noel Beckett, known as Noel, was born on 13 December 1892 at Waimate, the youngest of William Henry Beckett and his second wife, Elizabeth Sophia née Randal. William’s first wife had died in 1873 and William married Elizabeth in 1880. William and Elizabeth with his five children of his first marriage and their three came to New Zealand when Evelyn was very young. William was recorded as a farmer at Waimate, Canterbury, in 1887. A daughter was born in 1891 at Waimate, then John. Noel Beckett, on of Mr W. H. Beckett, “Crosby”, suffered a painful accident in early May 1902. He was playing with a pocket knife given him when it slipped and entered his eye, cutting it badly. He was immediately put under the treatment of the Waimate doctors, and there was a slight hope of saving his sight. It seems, however, that he did not recover his sight.

A piano tuner at Waimate, John Noel Beckett was listed on the 1916 Reserve Rolls. His name was then drawn in the Seventh Ballot in May 1917. He was medically examined by the Travelling Medical Board at Waimate on 24 May 1917, but, being totally blind in both eyes, he was assessed as Class D. Leaving home on 1 February 1919, Private J. N. Beckett was posted to the New Zealand Army Medical Corps at Featherston on enlisting on 18 February. “FOR BLIND SOLDIERS. MASSAGE TRAINING. WAIMATE MAN SHOWS WHAT CAN BE DONE. A demonstration of what can he done in training blind soldiers for massage work was given in the office of the Minister of Defence (Sir James Allen) at Wellington on Thursday, in the presence of Ministers of the Crown, and Major-General Sir Alfred Robin. The pupil (Mr Noel Beckett, of Waimate) has had eight weeks’ tuition in anatomy, and in that short period has acquired what must he regarded as a wonderful knowledge of the bones and muscles of the human body. A skeleton was placed in his hands at the demonstration, and he named the various bones, and explained the position and function of the muscles with almost complete accuracy. Those present expressed great surprise at the power of the pupil’s memory, which enabled him to acquire in a very short period and retain knowledge far beyond that required of the ordinary masseur, and probably equal to that of some doctors. It was explained that he was instructed by demonstration, supplemented by information dictated to him slowly, so that he might record it in Braille and memorise it afterwards. His case was not exactly that of a soldier blinded during the war, as he had been blind for many years, and had received training at the Jubilee Institute for the Blind, but not in anatomy. His sense of touch was particularly delicate and accurate. What he could do could be done, though not so quickly, by soldiers who last their sight at the front. Massage is one of the occupations for which it is thought sightless men are particularly fitted. There are some fifteen New Zealand blinded soldiers in England, and two have already returned to the Dominion. One of the gentleman present at the demonstration on Thursday stated that in Japan the majority of the massage practitioners were blind. The demonstration (says the Post) was an example of what can be done under adverse conditions by a capable and keen instructor, and a receptive pupil.” [Waimate Daily Advertiser. 30 April 1919.] Beckett was transferred to King George V Hospital at Rotorua on 2 July 1919. He was granted 21 days leave from 21 December 1919 to 10 January 1920, and further leave in February.

In July 1921, Private J. N. Beckett, NZAMC, the Blind Masseur, suffered a simple fracture of his index finger. On examination under X-Rays, growths were found in two fingers of his right hand. It was expected that the index finger would have to be amputated. “I am particularly sorry for Beckett as he is a splendid type of man in every way, and in purely massage work is probably one of my best masseurs.” It was thought, however, that the loss of his finger would not affect his efficiency as a masseur very much. Following admission to hospital in July 1921 with the hand problem, he was granted sick leave in September then discharged from hospital. Discharged from the NZ Army Medical Corps at Rotorua on 19 January 1923, he accepted service with the Health Department.

By 1925 he was in Dunedin where he practised as a masseur. John Noel Beckett married Adeline Mainey Hare at First Church, Dunedin on 18 September 1935. Among the guests were Mr and Mrs E. Lothian, their acquaintance probably going back to Waimate days. A very charming little incident occurred as the bride left the church, she threw flowers from her bouquet to the little patients from the Convalescent Hospital at Kew, who had assembled to witness the wedding, the bride having been the well-loved teacher there and at the general hospital for many years. Perhaps Noel and Adeline had met in the hospital environment.

Adeline Mainey Beckett died on 1 August 1966 at Dunedin and was buried in a Hare family plot at the Northern Cemetery. By 1969 John Noel Becket had married Susan Emily Lothian (née Lindsay), the widow of Edward Bannerman Lothian. In the early 1970s Noel and Susan retired to Auckland. John Noel Beckett, retired physiotherapist, died on 24 June 1973 at Auckland, aged 80 years. By his Will (dated 17 November 1972 in Auckland), he directed that his remains after his death be cremated, and the ashes scattered. He bequeathed all his estate to his wife, Susan Emily Beckett. Should she predecease him, he bequeathed £400 to Annie Jessie Lothian (wife of his stepson Edward Hamilton Lothian); £200 each to Robert Edward Lothian, Diane Jessie Lothian ad Ian Lothian (children of his stepson); £250 to the Royal NZ Foundation for the Blind, Dunedin (for the Social Club for the Blind of Otago); £250 to the Dominion Association of the Blind (for the Otago Branch). He also made provision for his stepson Edward Hamilton Lothian and for several nieces. Susan Emily Beckett died on 25 January 1999, aged 103 years, and was cremated at Purewa. John’s brother Evelyn Randal Beckett also enlisted for service with the New Zealand Forces. Henry Edward Beckett, a nephew of Noel and Evelyn, served in World War One.

Sources

NZ BDM Indexes (Department of Internal Affairs) [22 September 2024]; Waimate Daily Advertiser, 6 May 1902, 9 May 1917, 30 April 1919, Evening Star, 21 September 1935 (Papers Past) [22 September 2024]; NZ Electoral Rolls (ancestry.com.au) [16 & 22 September 2024]; Waikumete Crematorium & Purewa Crematorium records [22 September 2024]

External Links

• Military personnel file

Related Documents

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Researched and Written by

Teresa Scott, SC Genealogy Society

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