Background
His father was estate architect to the head of the Pierrepont family, who since 1806 had been styled the Earl Manvers.
His father was estate architect to the head of the Pierrepont family, who since 1806 had been styled the Earl Manvers.
He was educated at the Grammar School at Bury Saint Edmunds and Caius College, Cambridge.
He died on 13 August 1865. George was ordained in 1810 and served, in succession, as
Curate of Great Plumstead 1808
Curate of Hadleigh, Suffolk, 1808 - 1815
Vicar of Laxton, Nottinghamshire, 1813 - 1817
Vicar of Lowdham, Nottinghamshire, 1815 - 1839
Vicar of Saint Mary"s Church, Nottingham, 1817 - 1843
Prebendary of Southwell Minster 1823 - 1865
Rector of Wing, Rutland, 1827 - 1839, Archdeacon of Nottingham 1832 - 1865
Rector of Beelsby, Lincolnshire, 1843 - 1865. During his time in Nottingham, he had a continuing problem in ensuring that people wanting to get married were genuine parishioners.
He employed a sexton for each banns application to check the residence of the applicants.
There is a touch of irony in this as he himself eloped to Gretna Green to marry Amelia Auriol Hay-Drummond during his time at Hadleigh. And went on to have nine children.
As Vicar of Saint Mary"s, he was preaching at a service when a loud crack from the masonry caused those attending to believe that the tower was collapsing, and a panic ensued. Wilkins then summoned the architect Lewis Nockalls Cottingham to survey the fabric, and Cottingham implemented a scheme to prop up the tower with scaffolding while the tower piers were repaired.
By selecting Cottingham, Wilkins is credited with saving Saint Mary"s medieval fabric, rather than submitting to a project to rebuild the church.
He was also responsible for the construction of two churches out of Saint Mary"s parish. Saint Paul"s Church, George Street, Nottingham
Holy Trinity Church, Trinity Square
A third Saint John the Baptist"s Church, Leenside, Nottingham was begun during his incumbency but he resigned before its completion. He died on 13 August 1865.