Sir E. J. George

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Sir E. J. George

E. J. George, General Manager of Consett Iron Company, was the first president of Consett Park Bowling Club. He later became Deputy Chairman at Consett Iron Company.

Edward J. George was born in Oswestry, Shropshire, in 1866. He was the son of Edward, a shoemaker employing 3 men (at the time of the 1871 census) and Anne.

The 1881 census records Edward's occupation in Oswestry as accounts clerk, at the age of 14.

In 1911 he was living in Beech Grove, Consett, married to Eleanor with two daughters, and employed as Secretary commercial manager. Three servants are listed on the census entry.

In 1923 E. J. George was appointed president of Consett Park Bowling Club. He is pictured below at the opening ceremony.

He was awarded a knighthood in 1939.

Opening of the green in 1923

Cold Place

E.J. George arrived in Consett in about 1904. The Consett Guardian's account of the 1923 Opening Ceremony includes the following:

Mr George, in opening the proceedings, make some humorous remarks respecting the weather. He said that before coming there he had often read accounts of the terrible snow storms that they were subjected to. When he arrived about 1904 he came to the conclusion that it was a very cold place. (Laughter.) He also remembered that a wolf got loose that winter and caused a great deal of alarm. It had escaped from a place at Shotley Bridge where wild animals were then kept.

Methodist

The "Christian Messenger", in 1922, contained an article about the Shotley Bridge Primitive Methodist circuit. It includes information about E.J. George, who was then general Manager of Consett Iron Company and chairman of the Urban Council. He had been a preacher since the age of 17. Mr George's physical and mental characteristics are described in detail. Of particular interest to Consett Park Bowling Club is the paragraph below, regarding "recreation of the people":

"The building of workmen’s houses and providing means for the recreation of the people, and above all his efforts to provide work for men with families has won for him the esteem and affection of the people."

You can read a transcript of the Christian Messenger article on the "My Primitive Methodists" website. Also included are photographs of E.J. George and Mrs George. (Note: there is also a photograph of Mr R. Clough, who was a member of Consett Park Bowling Club).

E. J. George

Photograph from the My Primitive Methodists website, with permission.

Mrs George

Photograph from the My Primitive Methodists website, with permission.

Market Place

The site of Consett’s old market place was gifted to the town by E. J. George in the 1930s.

A Methodist, he stipulated that there was to be no buildings on the land and that alcohol should not be consumed there.

Thus, there was controversy in 2003 when The Company Row was built on the site.