Commemoration of the Centenary of George Singer's death.
On the 4th of January 2009 we held a special event in Coventry in commemoration of the Centenary of the death of George Singer, founder of Singer and Co in Coventry in 1875 and the Singer Motor Co Ltd in 1903, who died 100 years ago this day at his home, Coundon Court, on 4th January 1909.
We were particularly pleased to welcome to our celebrations George Singer’s great-great-grand-daughter, Annabel Levaux, and his great-great-great-grandson, Annabel’s son George.
We were particularly pleased to welcome to our celebrations George Singer’s great-great-grand-daughter, Annabel Levaux, and his great-great-great-grandson, Annabel’s son George.
George’s funeral was on 7th January 1909, and the Coventry Herald reported:
The works of the Singer Cycle Company Ltd. were closed during the morning and this enabled hundreds of Singer's workers to line the route of the funeral cortege. The grave was lined with asparagus and maiden-hair fern with white chrysanthemums. The great and famous bells of St. Michael's Church in the centre of the city tolled during the funeral in sombre time to the passage of the carriages and the service at the graveside."
George Singer was also three times Mayor of Coventry, and it was particularly good to be joined by the present Deputy Lord Mayor, Jack Harrison MBE, JP, and his wife Jill, who somehow managed to avoid the cameras!
The day started as members of ASCO and the SOC, together with our guests, boarded a historic bus from the Coventry Transport Museum, to be driven to the London Road cemetery where George and his wife Eliza are buried.
George Singer was very keen to promote the well-being of his employees, and actively encouraged sporting activities, one of these being the Singers Football Team, so we were also pleased to welcome Ian Devoy (below, right), who is great-great-grandson of Willy Stanley, one of the founder members, a player/striker and the first Manager of the Singers team, that was later to become the Coventry City Football Club, together with Lionel Bird, who is currently researching the history of the club, including, of course, its Singer roots.
The inscription on the grave reads:
MY BELOVED HUSBAND GEORGE SINGER WHO DIED ON 4TH JANUARY 1909 IN HIS SIXTY-SECOND YEAR. GOD’S FINGER TOUCHED HIM AND HE SLEPT.
The wording chosen by his family to bid farewell, and set around the bevelled edge of the decorated marble base, with its complementary bas-relief, reads:
“GONE IS THY LOVING VOICE, THY KINDLY FACE,
GONE FROM THE HOME WHERE WE SO DEARLY LOVED THEE
WHERE NONE CAN EVER FILL THY VACANT PLACE
ALL THE TEARS ARE VAIN - WE CANNOT NOW RECALL THEE.”
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The bus then took us to St Thomas’ Church, Keresley, which would have been the Singer family Parish Church, and it was the then vicar of Keresley, the Rev W C Kerr, who conducted George’s funeral service. Today, part of the Morning Service, conducted by the Rev Peter Walker, was devoted to George’s memory.
This was aided by a veteran Singer ‘Xtraordinary’ bicycle, made in around 1880 and provided from the Museum, which was brought into the church.
This was aided by a veteran Singer ‘Xtraordinary’ bicycle, made in around 1880 and provided from the Museum, which was brought into the church.
After the service the church kindly provided some very welcome refreshment, which would see us through to George’s home,
Coundon Court.
Coundon Court.
Coundon Court was built in 1891 and was the Singer family home. It has since been used as a nursing home and in 1953 became Coundon Court High School. Fortunately, much of the luxuriously decorated interior has survived, particularly the wood carvings, the magnificent oak staircase and ornate ceiling cornices and friezes.
We were met by Richard Hoare, ex-Head of English at the school, who pointed out, with great passion, the intricate details and superb quality that was evident in everything George laid his hand upon.
And so to a final photo call on the steps before taking the bus back to the Museum for a brief look around, a picture beside the Museum’s 1929 Singer Junior, a buffet lunch, the closing speeches and for the Deputy Lord Mayor to present to Annabel, on behalf of both ASCO and the SOC, a copy of ‘The Singer Story.’
A fitting Finale.
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Our thanks to the Deputy Lord Mayor of Coventry and his wife; to the Coventry Transport Museum and Steve Bagley in particular; to the Rev Peter Walker; to John Taylor, who first mooted the idea of this celebration, and who, with his friend Derek Robinson, made such a splendid job of cleaning and tidying George’s grave; to Richard Hoare for his magical guided tour; to Basil Etherton for his invaluable research into the Singer family tree; to Barry Paine for his efforts in organising the event, and to everyone who turned up to make this such an enjoyable and memorable occasion.
Our thanks to the Deputy Lord Mayor of Coventry and his wife; to the Coventry Transport Museum and Steve Bagley in particular; to the Rev Peter Walker; to John Taylor, who first mooted the idea of this celebration, and who, with his friend Derek Robinson, made such a splendid job of cleaning and tidying George’s grave; to Richard Hoare for his magical guided tour; to Basil Etherton for his invaluable research into the Singer family tree; to Barry Paine for his efforts in organising the event, and to everyone who turned up to make this such an enjoyable and memorable occasion.