George Alexander

George Alexander was the son of a wealthy Scottish-born varnish manufacturer, and worked for the family company as a salesman. He played lacrosse for his home-town team, Eccles, and also won representative honours with Lancashire, the North of England, and was a full England international. He won a silver medal with the Great Britain team at the 1908 Olympics. The following year, Alexander was in the first Eccles team to contest the final of the Northern Senior Flags, and despite Alexander opening the scoring less than a minute after the start, their opponents South Manchester ran out 11-4 winners. Alexander’s brother James was in the same Eccles team that day, and was also one of the Great Britain reserves at the London Olympics.

George Alexander committed suicide in 1929 by slitting his throat with a carving knife while staying at his sister Mabel’s house. The sad incident occurred shortly after the death of his father, and only days after the Derbyshire farm-house where he had lived, was sold.