George loved to visit the villages and was the area’s greatest benefactor in the latter half of the 19th century.
His wealth, energy and enthusiasm helped transform the villages into a popular Victorian tourist destination and his patronage provided the outstanding town hall, Congregational church building and cliff railway.
He was born in Matlock Bath, Derbyshire in 1851 into the family of a church minister at the Glenorchy Chapel and was educated at Silcoates School and City of London School. His first profession was as a Manchester haberdasher, but in 1881 he had an instant publishing success when he launched a popular penny magazine of short items called Tit-Bits. His interests in publishing grew as he added new magazines including Country Life and The Strand Magazine where Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was first able to publish his Sherlock Holmes mystery series. His publishing empire expanded rapidly, making him a very wealthy and powerful man; he served as MP for Newmarket from 1885 and became a baronet in 1895.
