Background
When George was six, his father died, and later he attended Derby School.
When George was six, his father died, and later he attended Derby School.
He built Renishaw Hall in Derbyshire in 1626. His company mined, forged, and rolled iron for use in Britain and overseas. lieutenant exported a complete rolling mill to the West Indies.
The Sitwells were freeholders who acquired land in and around Eckington and became gentry.
George Sitwell became a Justice of the Peace, served as High Sheriff of Derbyshire in 1653 and was granted arms in 1660. Renishaw Hall was built for Sitwell in 1626 was the centre of his estate.
In 1652 Sitwell built a furnace at Foxbrooke close to Renishaw, which became the core of the largest ironworks in Derbyshire. Sitwell made saws at Pleasley and in 1656, installed a rolling and slitting mill at Renishaw to supply the rod iron used by numerous local nailmakers and scythe and sickle makers.
Sitwell regularly visited London to supervise sales of his products.
Sitwell married Margaret Childers of Carr House, near Doncaster and was buried at Eckington on 2 August 1667. In the 1690s the works were leased and though the Sitwells retained management of their collieries until the mid-18th century they accumulated wealth as landowners from the industrial enterprises on the estate. His memorial is in Street Peter and Street Paul"s Church, Eckington.
The family still own Renishaw Hall, although it is no longer owned by the Sitwell baronet.
The Sitwell family became baronets and George Sitwell"s descendants, Osbert, Edith and Sacheverell Sitwell were members of the intelligentsia in the 20th century.