George Holt (cotton-broker)
George Holt (24 June 1790 – 16 February 1861) was a cotton-broker, merchant, and philanthropist from Liverpool, England. Early life George Holt's father, Oliver, had moved from Halifax after impressing the owner of Town Mill in Rochdale with his work ethic and skills as a woollen dyer. The ethic, derived from a nonconformist, principally Baptist, milieu, helped him rise to become a partner in the business before establishing his own mill and dyeworks in the town. Born on 24 June 1790, George left Rochdale for Liverpool in 1807 to work as an apprentice to Samuel Hope, who was a cotton broker. In 1812, having demonstrated similar qualities to those of his father, he became a partner in Hope's business, which at the time also involved banking. The prosperity that Holt enjoyed caused him for a while to enjoy the company of men who favoured sporting pastimes. However, his nonconformist background came to the fore again when he became friendly with William Durning around 1817, having rented a cottage from another member of the Durning family. On 1 September 1820, he married William's daughter, Emma. Durning was a wealthy Liverpool wine and spirit merchant, and through the marriage, George Holt became