"Whence Comes England's Roast Beef"

Sir E Montague Nelson

"In the Diamond Jubilee year Her Majesty conferred upon Mr. Montague Nelson the most distinguished Order of Knight Commander of St. Michael and St. George, the appointment being thus graciously worded in the daily paper: "Sir Montague Nelson K.C.M.G., for services rendered in connection with the Australasian Colonies, and as a recognition of his public services in the promotion of measures for the benefit of the community."

Whence comes the meat we eat? The suburban butcher will tell you that it is all home killed, if not home fed; the domestic cynic that Welsh mutton commonly browses on Australian Plains, and that Scotch beef loses half its virtue because of the voyage across the Atlantic. The truth, as usual, lies between; and if one had happed upon the Society of Arts in session last night one would have learned some interesting facts from Mr E Montague Nelson as to this more than ordinarily interesting subject. a quarter of a century ago it struck people that the United Kingdom could not grow enough meat to feed her population, which, by the way, it may be said, eats more than twice as much meat as any alien people. As usual a committee was appointed and it sat until 1870 without arriving at any definite conclusion. At this time America was exporting to the United Kingdom, a large quantity of lives stock, besides a profusion of tinned meat, while two years later the trade in chilled beef was started, and gradually grew, until in1894, it reached 100,000 tons. In 1880 the Australasian colonies began to be a factor in the question of supply. Early in that year the first shipment of frozen meat was made, and the trade has since attained huge proportions. In all 26,000,000 frozen sheep and lambs have come to our shores of which New-Zealand has supplied 13,000,000, Australia 3,000,000, the River Plate 9,000,000, and the Falkland Islands 150,000. In early stages of the business freight from Australia was two-pence halfpenny per pound. It is now 1d (penny) and a fair profit can be made at this figure. There are now over eighty ships engaged in the trade, with a carrying capacity of about 2.500.000 carcases. Experiments are now being made in the live shipment of cattle from Australia, and the trials already completed as sufficient to prove that they can be carried the long sea voyage without loss of condition. It is probable, therefore, that before long a large trade in this direction will be conducted. the annual consumption of meat in the United kingdom is 2.140.000 tons, about two-thirds of which are home grown, and the latter amount has doubled in the last ten years. It is computed that, in addition to the supplies of live stock to the metropolitan markets, Smithfield alone provided in a year 130 pound of meat for every man, woman and child within fifteen miles of Charing Cross, or a weekly consumption of 24 pounds for every family; and of 130 pounds, 25 pounds are of American beef, and nearly 20 pounds foreign mutton or beef. Mr Nelson thinks that the British farmer is entitled to equal consideration whether he happens to reside in New-Zealand or Australia, or in Kent or Sussex. And Australian mutton wholesale, fetches three-pence three-farthings per pound, or just half that of the home grown article.

From the Pall Mall Gazette as published in the New York Times March 29th 1895

Edward Montague Nelson (Signature)

Edward Montague Nelson Lived a 2 Jury Street, Warwick in 1891 with his wife Mary, their four children and 10 servants

Lease for 21 years of 2, Jury Street, and of stables in Castle Street, Warwick, from Sir Edward Montague Nelson of Hanger Hill House, Ealing, Middx

Edward M Nelson,Head,M,50,,Gelatine Mnfctr,Employer,Warwick Warwickshire,,Also Importer of New Zealand mutton
Mary C Nelson,Wife,M,,44,,,Bexhill Sussex,,
Ethel Nelson,Dau,S,,24,,,Bexhill Sussex,,
Edward W Nelson,Son,S,23,,Gelatine Mnfctr,Employer,Ealing London,,

Hector M Nelson,Son,S,17,,Student,,Ealing London,,
Charles Nelson,Son,S,13,,Scholar,,Ealing London,,
Lucy Buckman,Servant,S,,40,Cook Dom,,West Handily Sussex,,
Mary J Waite,Servant,S,,30,Parlour Maid Dom,,Bexhill Sussex,,
Sylvia G Ody,Servant,S,,28,Parlour Maid Dom,,Clifton Oxfordshire,,
Annie Simmonds,Servant,S,,22,Ladys Maid Dom,,Warwick Warwickshire,,
Emma C Judd,Servant,S,,23,Hsemaid,,Penge Surrey,,
Rebecca Hopkins,Servant,S,,21,Hsemaid,,St Leonards Sussex,,
Tom G Lennington,Servant,M,37,,Butler Dom,,Hanwell Berkshire,,
Annie Lennington,Servant,M,,29,Cook Dom,,Shutterfield Kent,,
Emily Lennington,,S,,1,,,Warwick Warwickshire,,
Emily Lennington,Servant,S,,21,Kitchen Maid Dom,,Wantage Berkshire,,

Source - Warwickshire Ancestors Project — 1891 - Transcript of Piece RG12/2467 (not verified) n.b. conflict with children's names (nelson's descendants.)

Pageant House 2009

Pageant House

The large house next to the Court House in Jury Street, Warwick, belonged in the nineteenth century to the influential Greenway family, and by 1850 its garden had extended behind the Court House to a gateway into Castle Street. George Cattell Greenway became Town Clerk and a partner with his brother Kelynge Greenway, in Greenway, Smith and Greenways Bank; both were implicated in the bank’s spectacular failure in 1887 and served terms in jail. The house was on the market at the time of the Pageant, and No. 2 Jury Street was used in 1905 and 1906 for the purposes of the Pageant by the generosity of Sir E. Montague Nelson. Afterwards it was bought with the proceeds and presented to the town; it became the Pageant House and its enlarged garden, the Pageant Garden, is now a much valued green oasis in the town centre, and is widely used for wedding photographs.

(not verified)

George. Nelson, Dale, & Co Ltd

Minute Book 1887 - 1916 & Statistics Book 1871 - 1894

Photography by ajl - from CR2999 - by kind permission of Warwickshire County Records Office

E Montague Nelson's Book

of Letters, News Cuttings, and Keepsakes. (added March 2010)

Nelson Dale & Co, Letterhead and and Crest.

Letter to Preference Shareholders informing of 10% dividend, 12th Feb 1912

Photography by ajl - from CR2999 - by kind permission of Warwickshire County Records Office.

From "The London Gazette" 19th September 1916

Compiled for the benefit of Warwickians and Others by Anthony James Leahy

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