Sir George Holford

Lieutenant-Colonel Sir George Lindsay Holford (2 June 1860 – 11 September 1926) was a British Army officer and courtier. The son of Robert Stayner Holford, he inherited his father's considerable fortune, which included the Westonbirt House in Gloucestershire and Dorchester House on Park Lane, London. He continued his father's work in developing the Westonbirt Arboretum, which still exists today and is open to the public. Early life George was the only son of Mary Ann Holford (née Lindsay) and Robert Stayner Holford. He had three elder sisters, Margaret, Evelyn and Alice. In 1873 George went to Eton and was there for four years. At the age of 20 in 1880, George obtained a commission with the 1st Life Guards, where he remained for almost 30 years. During this time he was closely associated with royalty and court life. From 1888 to 1892 he was equerry to Prince Albert, Duke of Clarence. When the Duke died in 1892 an official Memoir was published in his honour and George's journal was used to outline the Prince's activities when he was in India. An extract from the journal paints a colourful picture of his life in India with Prince Albert: His Royal Highness received separate visits from about five-and twenty of the principal chiefs and natives, each coming with his attendants and staying about five minutes. This took up nearly the whole morning....At six o'clock a great fete was given to the Prince by the Calcutta community on the Maidan. It was chiefly a native entertainment. The illuminations were splendid; all the trees on the Maidan were covered with bamboo scaffolding, on which were hung thousands of small lamps. The whole of the ouline of the Fort was also lighted up. The fete took place in an immense group of tents. In the central tent the royalties and the Viceroy were placed on gold chairs while a varied performance took place – juggling, music and nautches. After about an hour there we visited the different booths – a native play in one, some Tibetan dancers with extraordinary masks in another. Last of all two hundred men in white danced the famous kuttak dance round a bonfire. It was very fine.