BARONET'S FRUIT SHOP

Evening Star, Issue 21582, 30 November 1933, Page 1

BARONET'S FRUIT SHOP

LANDLORD AND HAWKER 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 O. Bell, the racehorse trainer. He was fifty-two years of age. Eearly this year Sir George, a descendant of one of the oldest families in the laud, surprised the inhabitants of the village near his home by calling from door to door selling garden produce at considerably less than the market pride. Most of his customers were his own tenants, and as he 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 May—girls wearing overalls in Sir George’s racing colours, French grey and scarlet, served customers in the shop he had bought at Coalville, Leicestershire, for the sale of fruit, flowers, and vegetables. In this venture Sir George took into partnership his 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 year* ago, Miss Rene Northey, daughter of General Sir E. Northey, a former Governor of Kenya Colony.