George Clarke Simpson, 1878-1965

George Clarke Simpson was born at Derby on 2 September 1878, the second son and third of the seven children, three sons and four daughters, of Arthur and Alice Lambton Simpson. Arthur, born at Derby on 25 May 1851 and educated at Derby Grammar School, was the son of a Derby shopkeeper —of a small retail shop—and, until his marriage, helped in his father’s shop. Alice was the daughter of a well-to-do wharfinger, Thomas William Clarke, of Sutton Bridge, Lincolnshire, whose business was ruined through the silting up of the port. She was born on 25 March 1853 and died on 22 December 1937. On marriage Arthur and Alice started a business of their own and slowly and laboriously built up a wholesale business, hardware, drapery and toys, one of the best in Derby at the end of the century. Arthur was an active church worker, a particularly successful teacher of young men in the Sunday School and, later in life, Councillor, Alderman and Mayor of Derby. He died on 27 June 1917. Arthur’s brother, George, was the father of David Capell Simpson, Oriel Professor of Interpretation of Holy Scripture, Oxford, 1925-1950. In the early years of their marriage Simpson’s parents lived over their warehouse in Bag Lane, later East Street, in the centre of Derby and there Simpson was born. About twelve years later his parents bought a house in a better locality where the family lived the typical life of the Victorian middle class. It was a happy family and, as the business continued to grow, there was never any real shortage of money; but there was no extravagance and certainly no waste.