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Messages - James1957

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Surrey / Re: Howard Avenel Bligh St. George
« on: Saturday 01 June 13 13:57 BST (UK)  »
I am thinking of going over to Zillebeke at some point on my motorbike - Avenal's life was pretty short so not sure how much of a bio one could produce.  Sadly the picture has passed away form the family and I don't know who now owns it.  Orpen was very closely involved with our family (see  Bruce Arnold's biography of Orpen) so it would have been painted with feeling.   I imagine he was known as  "Avenal" because his father was Howard - so they probably used his second name - what ever the reason he was definitely Avenal rather than Howard.  To my regret and embarrassment I don't know as much as I should about the St George family in Ireland so beyond what I have written I am not sure I can help.   

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Surrey / Re: Howard Avenel Bligh St. George
« on: Friday 31 May 13 13:40 BST (UK)  »
Actually this has spurred me to look at this more closely - I had forgotten there was a baronetcy floating around - wiki is inaccurate in saying    " St. George married George Baker Bligh St. George, third son of the second Baronet St. George... "  in fact he was son of Mr Howard st George but  I suspect Howard (Married to Mrs St George) was probably the younger son of the Baronet - ie a generation has missed in the wiki description - I had forgotten the Roosevelt connection though so that was interesting.

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Surrey / Re: Howard Avenel Bligh St. George
« on: Friday 31 May 13 01:31 BST (UK)  »
Hi Viktoria - I think my cousin was upset particularly as he remembers how devastated his grandfather was over Avenal's death throughout his life.  The Baronetcy is a red herring the St Georges here are from Ireland and there is no  title- Mrs St George was daughter of George Baker - a major mover on wall street.  I suspect he was a man it was hard to resist. She had five Children - three boys  George (Goga), Avenal and Ferris (later col of the life guards) and two daughters - Gardenia (later Lady Gunston) and Vivien (later Vivien Stanley Clarke).  I suspect the portrait is one painted by Sir William Orpen of Avenal after his death.  I am not sure about the book you mention - but I am not a great historian beyond my own family!

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Surrey / Re: Howard Avenel Bligh St. George
« on: Thursday 30 May 13 17:26 BST (UK)  »
Hello,
Avenal was my Great Uncle.  There are a few things that really need to be put right.  In particular there is mention of confusion over brothers.  One of Avenal's brothers became Colonel of the life Guards, and another was in America.  The word "fled" seems to have been added with no evidence of what actually happened.  In point of fact Goga (the one in the states) was ordered by his family to go to the States and was there I am pretty sure at the outbreak.  He was utterly devastated by the loss of his brother Avenal and this I know for sure having spoken to his grandson recently.  I really feel it is wrong to use words like "fled" knowing very little about the pressures etc brought to bear at the time and the surrounding circumstances.

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