Constituency : Birmingham 1867-76, Birmingham Edgbaston 1885-98 ( from 1886 Liberal Unionist )
George came in at Birmingham after the death of William Scholefield.
George was born in Leeds and educated at Leeds Grammar School. In 1838 he moved to Birmingham to join Rabone Brothers , a merchant firm which he ended up heading. They dealt in guns and railway equipment amongst other things. He became involved in Birmingham's municipal politics. He became a councillor in 1863 and Mayor in 1866 but resigned the office to contest the by-election.
Just before his election George had been involved in founding the Birmingham Education Society to raise money for the education of poor children. In 1869 this was subsumed into the more political National Education League. This was founded in Birmingham with George as its first chairman. Its first aim was to procure a bill from Gladstone's government for universal non-sectarian education.
In 1876 George stepped down as an MP to look after his ill wife and was replaced by his NES colleague Joseph Chamberlain. He swapped roles with Chamberlain becaming chairman of Birmingham's School Board. He was an Anglican but tried to ride above sectarian disputes. He introduced free school meals for the impoverished.
In 1884 George founded and financed the Bridge Street Technical School giving 400 boys two years science and mechanics education beyond the school leaving age. Its success led to similar schools across the country and the Technical Institutions Act which formalised their finances.
The following year he returned to Parliament. His relationship with Joseph Chamberlain was not always easy but he followed him into the Liberal Unionists.
He died in 1898 aged 77. A number of Birmingham schools were named after him. One of them was attended by Michael Balcon , producer of the film The Blue Lamp who used the name for his policeman character.
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