George Armitstead, 1st Baron Armitstead

George Armitstead, 1st Baron Armitstead (1824-1915) was a businessman and Liberal MP for Dundee between 1868 and 1873 and 1890 until 1895

George Armitstead was born on 28 February 1824 at Riga, the second son of a flax merchant. He came to Dundee in 1843 and established the George Armitstead & Co shipping line and flax business in which he was senior partner.

He held the office of Justice of the Peace (JP) and of Deputy Lieutenant (DL) of Forfarshire and Dundee. He was invested as a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society (F.R.G.S.).

He was created Baron Armitstead, of Castlehill, in the city of Dundee on 19 July 1906, having refused an offer in 1893. He was a great friend of William Ewart Gladstone and was a pallbearer at Gladstone's funeral

He married Jane Elizabeth Baxter, daughter of Edward Baxter in 1848 but they separated. They leased Castle Huntly. Lord Armitstead died on 7 December 1915 at age 91 at 4 Cleveland Square, London, without issue. On his death, his barony became extinct.

His nephew, also George Armitstead (1847-1912), was Mayor of Riga from 1901-1912.

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