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Extracts from the family Bible of George Simon (1810 - 1888) "My dearly loved wife died Friday July 10th 1863 at 12.30a.m. and was buried at Norwood Cemetery (temporarily in the Catacombs) by the Rev. M. Anderson on Tuesday July 14th. May her dear memory ever be cherished by me and our children." "Her dear remains, together with those of our three dear children deceased during her life-time, and an infant girl still-born, Nov. 12th 1856, were removed to my Vault, in the Cemetery (myself and the Rev. M. Anderson being present) on Thursday 13th August 1863." ******* "Sunday evening October 2nd 1859, dear little Caroline read the first verse of Proverbs, Chapter 4." "She went to Church for the first time August 26th 1860." ******* Extracts from family notes compiled in 1943/44 by Charles George Simon "Valuable and much appreciated assistance has been provided in the preparation of these notes by Arthur P. Simon, Herbert Simon Carey, G.W.H. Whelon and Frederick H. Dowdey". ******* "His high forehead, his firm straight mouth and well shaped chin, and his calm and steady gaze; all spoke eloquently of his character. His grey hair, worn long and bushy over the ears, and his neat side whiskers completed the picture of a typical gentleman of the Victorian era". ******* "A sincere tribute to his memory was given to the writer in the following words in June 1943 by Mr F.H. Dowdey, then a hale and hearty old gentleman of 83, who joined the firm of SIMON & LIGHTLY in 1874 at the age of 14. He subsequently rose to be book-keeper and confidential clerk and remained with the firm of GEORGE SIMON & WHELON until 1921". He said:- "Mr George Simon was a most upright scrupulous and honourable man. He was always most kind considerate and courteous to everyone and, by the example he gave, expected all those around him to be similarly well bred". ******* "Always most affable and courteous, kind-hearted and generous, with a decided penchant for the ladies, especially dark-haired ones, George Simon's memory is cherished in the family as that of a man of very high principles. In stature rather under the average height, of slim build, always most carefully dressed in the style of that period, frock-coat of broadcloth, cut-away Gladstone collar and narrow black bow tie over a three-studded expanse of spotless white shirtfront, he was the embodiment of "something in the City". Honesty, integrity, quiet dignity and self-confidence were written all over him". ******* After George Simon's second marriage to Hannah Maria Powell - "The couple first lived at No. 64, St. George's Square, where their sons Francis Rupert and Wilfred Powell were born". "The family then moved to No 82 in the same square, where another son Arthur Powell was born in 1869, and later in 1871 a girl Georgina Maria, who died in 1872. There the family continued to live until 1879 when the house was sold. After a holiday trip abroad that lasted a year or so, George bought Widmore Lodge at Bickley in Kent" (By sheer coincidence, his 2x great grandson - the compiler of these web pages - lives only half a mile away - Widmore Lodge no longer stands and the grounds of about 11 acres are now Widmore Lodge Road). |
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