George D. Lumb

George Denison Lumb was born in 1857 in Leeds, son of Richard Lumb, who was a coal agent, and his wife Sarah Denison. Sarah’s family lived at Methley Grange in the village of that name, and George subsequently inherited property there.

George became by profession a solicitor but had a keen interest in local history.  At various times he acted as Honorary Secretary, Honorary Treasurer and Honorary Editor of the Thoresby Society as well as being very active in the Yorkshire Archaeological Society and a founding member of the Yorkshire Parish Register Society.  He edited a significant number of parish registers and also published several articles, including a history of the Denisons of Meanwood.

In 1885, he married Elizabeth Margaret Atkinson, daughter of Richard Marshall Atkinson, a Leeds chemist, and Margaret his wife.  For many years George and Elizabeth lived at 31 Lyddon Terrace, but moved to Far Headingley in later years.  They had 6 children, two of whom were killed on active service during the First World War.  Wilfrid, born in 1889, attended Leeds Grammar School and then went to work for the London, City and Midland Bank.  When war broke out, he enlisted in the “Leeds Pals” – the 15th (service) Battalion (1st Leeds) The Prince of Wales’s Own (West Yorkshire Regiment).  He was severely wounded on 1st July 1916 in the Battle of the Somme and died two days later, on 3rd July.  A younger brother, Thomas, born in 1892, was studying agriculture at the University of Leeds when war broke out.  He joined the Yorkshire Hussars and was killed in action in May 1915.

George and Elizabeth established the “Wilfrid and Thomas Denison Lumb Memorial Fund” at Leeds University in memory of the two sons they had lost in the war.  Part of this was used to purchase a number of early printed books for the University Library.

George died in August 1939.  Elizabeth survived him by 20 years, dying at the age of 94 in a Harrogate nursing home in October 1959.