Part of the
Acorn Archive
Hearts
of Oak
George F Sleight
Ernest Sleight
The Sleights of
Cleethorpes and Grimsby
George
Frederick Sleight was born 26 Mar 1853; he soon became a cockle boy on
Cleethorpes beach, by the time he was 28, in 1881, he was a fish merchant
employing eight men; he had married Rebecca in 1872 - they lived at 147
Cleethorpe Road, Weelsby.
The
Sleight name was deeply involved in fish and fishing;
in
the 1901 census for Cleethorpes were …
Joseph
Sleight 87 Retired Fish Merchant
Robert
Sleight 50 Skipper Steam Trawler
Benjiman
(sic) Sleight 44 Fish Merchant Manager
Henry
Sleight 44 Fish Merchant
Frank
Sleight 38 Fish Merchants Manager
Alfred
Sleight 35 Fish Monger
Charles
William Sleight 29 Fish Merchant
Benjiman
(sic) Sleight 20 Fish Pontoon Labourer
From
an article in The Times 16th August 1911
Grimsby
- Although the trawler coalheavers' strike was settled yesterday, the youths at
the local sawmills ceased work. Mr G F Sleight, the largest individual trawler
owner, granted the men's request for increased wages, and himself added a
guarantee of five years' service to his regular staff while they remained
loyal. these men immediately resumed work. Later the trawler owners and
strikers' representatives met to discuss the situation. the owners offered to
concede half the demands, and at a mass meeting which followed these terms were
accepted by a majority. the threatened stoppage of the fish trade from this
source is at an end.
George
Frederck Sleight had Weelsby Hall built; a wealthy man, he became the largest
landowner in Lincolnshire.
The
Times 1st January 1918
His
Majesty has been pleased to confer Baronetcies of the United Kingdom upon ....
and
includes George Frederick Sleight, Esq., A prominent Grimsby citizen. One of
the largest trawler owners in the
world, he has rendered valuable national services in the promotion of the fish
supply.
His
contribution to the war effort was also that he made available his trawlers for
minesweeping and other naval duties.
Sir
George, was raised to the Baronetcy in 1920 ….
The
Times 5th June 1920
The
King's Birthday Honours
The
King has been graciously pleased, on the occasion of his Majesty's birthday, to
signify his intention of conferring Baronetcies of the United Kingdom .....
SLEIGHT
Sir George Frederick, largest trawler owner in the world. At the commencement of
the war practically all his ships were commandeered by the Governement for mine
sweeping and patrol purposes.
Sleights
and Croft-Baker, combined fleets in the 1920s.
March
21st 1921 The Times
Sir
George Frederick Sleight, Bt, of Weelsby Hall, near Grimsby, died on Saturday,
aged 68. He was the largest steam trawler owner in the world, and used to boast
that he started as a cockle gatherer. Formerly the principal smack [ 50 cockle
smacks ] owner, he saw the possibilities of steam, and became a pioneer in
effecting change from the old to the new order, and was, in fact, the first
merchant to finance a privately owned steam trawler in Grimsby.
During
the war, Sir George lent the Government between 50 and 60 steamships. Over 30
boats were lost by enemy action: but he purchased a number of obsolete ships
and refitted them to keep up the fish supply. Sir George was also an extensive
farmer and cattle-breeder, and bred a herd of the noted Lincolnshire red
Shorthorns. He was knighted in 1918, and two years later was raised to a
baronetcy. he was married in 1872, and had a family of four sons and three
daughters. the eldest son, Major Ernest Sleight, OBE, succeeds to the
baronetcy.
He
died leaving £992,000,
however
death duties forced the sale of part of his extensive estates.
Baronetcy
- SLEIGHT of Weelsby Hall, Lincolnshire
First
: George Frederick Sleight – 29th June 1920
born 26 Mar 1853, died 19 Mar 1921
aged 67
Second
: Ernest Sleight - born 14 Oct 1873, died 16 Jul 1946, aged 72
Third
: John Frederick Sleight – born 13th April 1909,
died 12th
February 1990, aged 80
Fourth
: Richard Sleight – born 27th
May 1946.
The
Times 23rd July 1928
Mr
Arthur Ernest Sleight was accidentally killed on July 16 while engaged in farm
work in Kenya Colony. The elder son of Major Sir Ernest Sleight, Bt., of
Stallingborough, Lincolnshire, he was born on December 27 1905.
The
Times 6th October 1932
Prices
of Fish
Two
points seem inexplicable to the ordinary consumer:
1)
How is it possible for the foreigner to sell fish in this country at a price
which does not pay the home industry?
The
foreigner must be at sea longer, as he must return to his home port, and he has
to pay a 10 per cent duty. Does he pay lower wages or is his organization
better and more economical?
2)
If white fish is sold at the quayside at 1.83d a lb, why does the consumer have
to pay up to 2s 6d a lb? The lowest prices (I quote from the current list of a
large London store) are 6d to 8d a lb for bream and 6d a lb for a small whole
cod, while fresh herrings are from 2s 6d to 3s 6d a dozen. If the retail prices
of fish reflected, even approximately, the fall in wholesale prices, I feel
sure the increased demand would be surprising.
The
Hon Mrs C White, White House, Harestone Valley, Caterham.
[
“s” was a shilling – 20 to the £1
sterling, “d” an old penny, 12 to the shilling]
[“lb”
– pound weight}
The
Times, Oct 12, 1932
Prices
of Fish
To
the Editor of The Times
Sir,
The
important points raised by the Hon Mrs C White in her letter under the heading
"Prices of Fish" in your issue of October 6 should not be allowed to
go unsanswered.
1
The reasons why it is profitable to the foreigner to sell fish in our markets
at a price which does not pay the home industry are:-
a)
That in many cases the foreign fishing vessel owner is assisted by his
Government either by direct subsidy or in some other manner; b) that the
standard of living of many foreign fishermen is far below that of our own men.
2
With regard to the quayside price of 1.83d per lb, it must be remembered that
this is an average price, and includes choice fish that make 10 times that
amount, as well as the large quantity of fish that, as a result of foreign
imports, has unfortunately had to be sent to the fish meal factory. Moreover,
the quayside price is for the whole fish, including head and tail, and in many
cases the weight is reduced by as much as 25 per cent before the fish reaches
the consumer. Transport and other charges must also be added to the quayside price. It should further be
remembered that fresh fish is the most perishable of all foodstuffs and the
margin of profit to the retailer must be proportionate.
Nevertheless,
the Economic Advisory Council in its recent report on the Fishing Industry made
a recommendation with which I am heartily in agreement, to the effect that the marketing and distribution of fish
should be made the subject of careful investigation. Whatever the result of
such an inquiry, it is clear that under no conditions would the increase of
0.67d per lb in the average quayside price of fish for which the trawling
industry is asking be reflected in the retail price, as there is so large a
margin between the two.
I
am, Sir, Ernest Sleight.
Fish
Docks, Grimsby Oct 10.
A
Danish venture joined with George F Sleight, around 1938;
this
later split and became Danbrit Shipping Management in 1976.
The
Times Jul 17, 1946
Major
Sir Ernest Sleight, Second Baronet, OBE, TD, DL, High Sherriff of Lincolnshire,
died in London yesterday.
Born
on October 14 1873, eldest son of the first baronet of Weelsby Hall, County
Lincoln, a creation of 1920, he was educated at Overslade, Rugby, and at Rugby
School. For his services during the 1914-18 war, as a major in the 5th
Battalion, The Lincolnshire Regiment, he was made an OBE and later, he became
honorary colonel of the 2nd Cadet Battalion of his county regiment. Sir Ernest
Sleight, who succeeded to the baronetcy in 1921, was a director of steam
fishing and other companies. In 1898 he married Margaret, daughter of the late
Mr C F Carter, of The Limes, Grimsby, and had two sons and three daughters. His
youngest daughter and younger son survive him. The son, Mr John Frederick
Sleight, who was born in 1909, married in 1942 Jacqueline Margaret, eldest daughter
of the late Major H R Carter of Brisbane, Queensland, and widow of Mr R
Mundell.
Ernest
Sleight’s younger brother was also named George Frederick Sleight,
born
1890, he died in 1954.
The
Times 26th November 1954
Mr
George Frederick Sleight, of Binbrook Hall Farm, Lincolnshire
managing
director of G F Sleight & Sons, trawler owners, Grimsby.
Will
left £380,800.
George
Frederick Sleight’s son continued the tradition,
but
by 1957 he is named as a former trawler owner.
The
Times 27th September 1957 reports that
Formerly
part of the 6,000 Manby Estate near Grimsby, the Irby and Killingholme estates,
extending to 2,556 acres have been sold to Mr G F Sleight, a former trawler
owner of Barnoldby, near Grimsby. The sale was on behalf of the executors of
the second Duke of Westminster, who died in 1953 ... The Killingholme estate, a
little under 900 acres, includes five farms. Much of the land adjoins Immingham
docks and the oil refinery there......
The
fishing business of G F Sleight Ltd was taken over by Ross in 1956;
Ross
had been established in 1918;
Ross
Group was formed in 1944, and took over further fishing businesses;
eventually
in 1987, themselves being taken over by British United Trawlers.
Raymond Forward