BARONET’S FRUIT SHOP

Southland Times, Issue 22207, 27 December 1933, Page 7

BARONET’S FRUIT SHOP

LANDLORD AND HAWKER.

POPULAR SPORTSMAN DEAD.

Sir George Beaumont, the sporting baronet, of Cole Orton Flail, Leicestershire, died last month at Stork House, Lambourn, Berkshire, where he became ill while staying with Captain O. 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 inhabitants 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 he himselt described it, “It wss good going. I stood in the van and encouraged the people to buv. The gardener took 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 colour's, 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-year-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 E. Northey, a former Goveilror of Kenya Colony,