George Lees Underhill facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
George Lees Underhill
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| Born | 20 May 1813 Wolverhampton, Staffordshire, England
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| Died | 24 January 1881 (aged 67) Wolverhampton, Staffordshire, England
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| Nationality | British |
| Occupation | Iron merchant |
| Known for | Mayor of Wolverhampton, and Queen's Visit |
George Lees Underhill (born May 20, 1813 – died January 24, 1881) was an important person from Wolverhampton, England. He was a successful businessman who sold iron. He also became the thirteenth Mayor of Wolverhampton in 1861.
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Early Life
George Lees Underhill was born on May 20, 1813, in Wolverhampton. His father, Joseph Underhill, was also an ironmonger, which means he sold iron goods. George and his wife, Caroline, lived on Dudley Street. They had three children, but sadly, only their son, Joseph, lived past childhood. Caroline passed away when she was 29 years old. George Underhill became a widower with one son. His son, Joseph, later became a barrister-at-law, which is a type of lawyer. George Underhill never married again.
Becoming Mayor
George Underhill was chosen to be the thirteenth Mayor of Wolverhampton. He served as Mayor from about November 27, 1861, to 1862. The Mayor is like the main leader of a city.
A Royal Visit
In 1861, Albert, Prince Consort, who was Queen Victoria's husband, passed away. George Underhill decided to help raise money for a statue to honor Prince Albert in Wolverhampton. Many people gave money to this "subscription" fund.
The famous sculptor, Thomas Thornycroft, created the statue. It was finished in 1866. George Underhill, along with three other important city officials, traveled to London. They wanted to ask Queen Victoria to come and officially show the statue to the public. This was a big request because the Queen had said no to similar invitations from other big cities like Liverpool and Manchester.
Surprisingly, Queen Victoria agreed to visit Wolverhampton! She came nine days later, on November 30, 1866. The Queen was very impressed by how the people of Wolverhampton welcomed her. She even borrowed a sword from the Lord Lieutenant and used it to knight the Mayor at that time, John Morris, right on the spot. This meant she gave him a special title of "Sir."
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Obverse of 1866 medallion
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Reverse of 1866 medallion
Later Life
George Underhill passed away in Wolverhampton on January 24, 1881. He was buried on February 2 in Merridale Municipal Cemetery.
