This what FLHS told me:
1938: Self made man, 92, leaves fortune to village poor A farm labourer's son, who went to London as a boy to make his fortune and
died worth £29,000, has left a large part of his estate to the poor and sick
of Cavendish, Suffolk, the village where his parents lived.
Mr George Savage of Hill House, Glemsford, Suffolk who died aged 92, made
bequests to his sister, his cousins, his nephews and nieces, his housekeeper
and gardener and the residue to the Congregational Chapel of Cavendish, for
the benefit of the poor and sick.
His father, who died aged 94 in 1913, was a farm labourer and later a farmer
on a small scale. His mother died in 1919 aged ninety eight.
Mr Savage's housekeeper, who as Miss Mary Gertrude Brown was left £1000 and
property, has also found happiness through his thoughtfulness, she married
an old sweetheart, and is now Mrs Grimwood.
"I was companion to his wife, who was blind for many years", she said
yesterday, "I was with them when they celebrated their golden wedding. After
she died thirteen years ago, I became his housekeeper, and looked after him
to the end , now I am forty six, and a very happily married woman, thanks to
him".
"His sister, to whom he left £500 is now ninety one and his brother , who
died last year was ninety two".
And Basil Ambrose added the following:
George worked for my grandfather, Thomas Edward Ambrose. I was told that
George regularly took a National Daily Newspaper and saw an advertisement
therein for a husband, he took a day's holiday, went to London and proposed
successfully. He moved to London and helped his wife with her business. They
prospered and expanded. He purchased Hill Farm, Glemsford with about 60
acres and they came down for weekends to stock up with country fayre
provisions for their London business. When his wife died he sold up and
retired. He made a will which he never changed it and the residue which
apparently had been left to the village people grew and grew, eventually
becoming £13,000, the largest bequest.
One of George's brothers lived in Hyde Park Corner beside Cavendish Green.
These cottages are renowned worldwide and were given to George Savage Trust
and are now administered for the benefit of people connected with the
village of Cavendish and form an outstanding group of renovated buildings of
international interest.
The George Savage Trust was set up by the Church Deacons and my father to
administer George's instructions in his will.
The George Savage Trust was set up in 1939 following a bequest made by Mr
George Savage. It now has responsibility for the care and maintenance of the
five cottages on Cavendish Green known as Hyde Park Corner.
George Savage was born in Cavendish in 1845, one of a family of twelve. His
parents, brother Charles and sister Mrs Elsey, all lived beyond the age of
90. His father was a farm worker and George used to recount that when he was
too young to walk far, he would be carried into the fields by his father and
left to scare birds for a shilling (5p) a week. On many occasions his only
food was swedes.
On leaving school he worked on a local farm but soon decided to try his
fortune in London. It is said that he left in response to an advertisement
in the paper from a woman seeking a partner (whether for marriage or
business is not known). He married Emma in 1873 and became the proprietor of
an hotel in Waterloo Road in London.
He was successful and in 1883 bought Glemsford Brickyards, 23 acres of land,
a dwelling house and cottage in Lower Road, Glemsford. He let the brickyards
and some of the rest and over the years acquired further land and
properties. He retired to Hill House in Lower Road after 50 years in the
hotel business.
Emma, who lost her sight in later years, died in 1924. She was thrown from a
trap, driven by her husband, after the pony shied and she never regained
consciousness.
George lived to the age of 92 and died in 1937. George and Emma had no
children and there was great surprise when details of his will were
published. Local and national newspapers reported on it with headlines such
as 'Son of farm worker leaves £29,596'. After bequests to family, friends
and charities he left the residue of his estate to Cavendish Congregational
Church, 'for the poor and sick of the village and in recognition of the many
acts of kindness to my late father and mother shown by the villagers'.
Trustees were appointed and at the first meeting the Trust was registered
with the Charity Commission. Mr Tom Ambrose was one of the original trustees
and his son Mr Basil Ambrose is still on the committee. The capital sum was
invested and the interest received was used to make grants to those in need
in the village.
After the Cavendish Preservation Society had purchased, and with help,
renovated the Hyde Park Corner Cottages it was decided that they should be
handed over to the George Savage Trust. The Trust accepted responsibility
for the cottages in November 1957.
It was thought that the provision of
'almshouse' accommodation was within the spirit of the original bequest.
There are five dwellings in the group, some with two bedrooms. New residents
must be over the age of 60 and have some connection with Cavendish either
through family or residence. The maintenance charges are kept at reasonable
levels. Seven residents in the village serve as trustees, some of whom are
nominated by local councils.
So. End of story. The Savages Unmasked.
We-e-e-ll. Almost.
But not quite.
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