en . ▁His ▁wealth ▁came ▁from ▁his ▁share ▁in ▁the ▁Beck ett ▁family ▁bank . ▁He ▁became ▁active ▁in ▁municipal ▁and ▁county ▁politics , ▁and ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 8 4 1 ▁general ▁election ▁was ▁elected ▁T ory ▁MP ▁for ▁the ▁West ▁R iding . ▁Having ▁expected ▁an ▁uno pp osed ▁return ▁in ▁ 1 8 4 7 , ▁he ▁with d rew ▁when ▁the ▁Liber als ▁nominated ▁Richard ▁Cob den , ▁but ▁was ▁returned ▁at ▁a ▁by - e lection ▁in ▁ 1 8 4 8 ▁and ▁sat ▁until ▁ 1 8 5 9 . ▁He ▁was ▁close ▁to ▁Sir ▁Robert ▁Pe el ▁( he ▁supplied ▁Pe el ▁with ▁the ▁horse ▁that ▁threw ▁and ▁fat ally ▁injured ▁him ); ▁although ▁he ▁voted ▁against ▁the ▁repe al ▁of ▁the ▁corn ▁laws ▁in ▁ 1 8 4 6 , ▁by ▁ 1 8 4 8 ▁he ▁opposed ▁a ▁return ▁to ▁protection ▁and ▁by ▁ 1 8 5 7 ▁described ▁himself ▁in ▁D od ▁as ▁a ▁Liberal . ▁ ▁Railway ▁career ▁Beck ett ▁is ▁known ▁for ▁his ▁role ▁in ▁the ▁development ▁of ▁the ▁railway . ▁In ▁ 1 8 4 4 ▁there ▁were ▁two ▁railway ▁routes ▁north ▁from ▁London : ▁one ▁( l ater ▁the ▁Mid land ▁Railway ) ▁controlled ▁by ▁George ▁Hudson , ▁and ▁the ▁other ▁( l ater ▁the ▁London ▁and ▁North ▁Western ▁Railway ) ▁under ▁Mark ▁Hu ish . ▁The ▁direct ▁but ▁thin ly ▁populated ▁route ▁from ▁London ▁to ▁York ▁was ▁not ▁served . ▁Beck ett ▁became ▁chairman ▁of ▁the ▁Great ▁Northern