▁Organ ised ▁phil ately ▁Beck ton ▁was ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁Manchester ▁school ▁of ▁phil ately ▁which ▁advoc ated ▁the ▁scientific ▁study ▁of ▁all ▁aspects ▁of ▁stamp ▁production ▁including ▁paper , ▁wat erm ark , ▁printing ▁and ▁per for ation . ▁He ▁was ▁president ▁of ▁the ▁Manchester ▁Phil atel ic ▁Society ▁for ▁thirty - five ▁years ▁consec ut ively . ▁He ▁joined ▁The ▁Royal ▁Phil atel ic ▁Society ▁London ▁in ▁February ▁ 1 8 9 2 , ▁eventually ▁becoming ▁president ▁of ▁that ▁society ▁from ▁ 1 9 2 9 ▁until ▁his ▁death ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 1 . ▁He ▁was ▁also ▁vice - pres ident ▁of ▁the ▁International ▁Phil atel ic ▁Union . ▁He ▁wrote ▁extens ively ▁on ▁phil ately ▁and ▁was ▁a ▁regular ▁contrib utor ▁to ▁the ▁Phil atel ic ▁Journal ▁of ▁Great ▁Britain ▁and ▁other ▁phil atel ic ▁period ical s . ▁ ▁Leg acy ▁Beck ton ' s ▁death ▁was ▁unexpected , ▁reported ly ▁from ▁" ang ina ▁p ector is ", ▁over ▁the ▁night ▁of ▁ 1 7 – 1 8 ▁March ▁ 1 9 3 1 ▁while ▁he ▁was ▁still ▁president ▁of ▁the ▁Royal . ▁He ▁did ▁not ▁marry ▁and ▁was ▁surv ived ▁by ▁a ▁sister ▁and ▁brother . ▁His ▁collection ▁of ▁phil atel ic ▁literature ▁of ▁over ▁ 9 0 0 ▁volumes ▁was ▁don ated ▁to ▁the ▁Manchester ▁public ▁library ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 4 ▁where ▁it ▁is ▁still ▁available ▁as ▁the ▁Beck ton ▁Phil atel ic ▁Library . ▁His ▁collection ▁of ▁Greece ▁was ▁au ction