George Courtauld (industrialist, born 1761)

Apprenticed to a Spitalfields silk weaver in 1775, George Courtauld first worked on his own as silk throwster.^[6] Between 1785 and 1794 he made a number of visits to America.^[6] In 1794 he established his own textile business at Pebmarsh under the name George Courtald & Co., which was to become the UK's largest manufacturer of mourning crape.^[6] However by 1816 the business was in financial difficulty: that year George's son Samuel took over the business and built it into the UK's largest manufacturer of mourning crape.^[6]

Courtauld was an ardent Unitarian, and retired to the United States.^[6]

Courtauld is buried at Allegheny Cemetery in Pittsburgh.^[6]

George Courtauld married Ruth Minton^[7] on 10 July 1789. Their children were:

• Samuel Courtauld (1793–1881)
• Catherine Courtauld (1795-)
• George Courtauld (1802–1861)