BARONET HAWKER

Dominion, Volume 27, Issue 59, 2 December 1933, Page 18

BARONET HAWKER

Sells from Door to-Door

Sir George Beaumont, the sporting baronet, of Cole Orton Hall. Leicestershire, died last month at Stork House, Lambourn. Berkshire, where he became ill while staying with Captain 0. Bell, the racehorse trainer. He was 52 years of age. Early this year Sir George, a descendant of one of the oldest families in the land, surprised the inhabtants of the villages near his home by calling from door to door selling garden produce at considerably less than the market price. Most of his customers were his own tenants, and, as lie himself described it, “It was good going . I stood in the van and encouraged the people to buy. The gardener took the money.” Everything sold was from Sir George's own garden, and he said: “I don’t expect to make a profit, but I do expect to pay for the gardener and the garden.”

A few weeks later—in Muy—girls wearing overalls in Sir George's racing colours, French'grey and scarlet, served customers in the shop he bad bought at Coalville. Leicestershire, for the sale of fruit, bowers and vegetables. In this venture Sir George took into partnership iris eight-years-old son and heir, George Howland Francis Beaumont. and he flew his own flag over the shop, which was officially opened by Mr. Frank Hodges, former secretary of the Miners’ Federation.

Sir George, who was a major in the King’s Royal Rifle Corps, served in the war from 1914 to 1918 and was twice wounded. Once known as “the bachelor baronet.” he married, ten years ago, Miss Rene Northey. daughter of General Sir 15. Northey. a former Governor of Kenya Colony.