Born in Southwark on 28 March 1857, the second son of James Ramsden Shrubsall and Sarah Shrubsall, née Campbell. In 1870 he joined the Pearl Assurance Company, then a new firm with a staff of fifty. As the company grew into a major financial enterprise, Shrubsall rose to be chief clerk (1882), director (1892), managing director (1916) and president (1927). In the year of his death the company’s assets exceeded £85 million.

Shrubsall’s early years were spent in the MNC: his father was Sunday School Superintendent at Brunswick Chapel, Great Dover Street, and Shrubsall served as Circuit Steward in the MNC First London Circuit. As he moved out of London, from Newington to Norwood, and then to Chislehurst and finally to Reigate, Shrubsall joined the Wesleyans at Roupell Park and was Circuit Steward in the Brixton Hill and Chislehurst Circuits. From the first decade of the twentieth century, he was a member of several Connexional committees and a lay representative to Conference. He served on the Methodist Union committee from 1917 and was Connexional Home Mission treasurer from 1930. He was a generous supporter of Clubland and and was senior treasurer of the Deptford Mission.

Politically ‘an ardent Liberal’, Shrubsall represented Norwood on the London County Council from 1901-07. He was a strong temperance advocate, a magistrate, and an active Freemason.

George Shrubsall married Sarah Orme (1860-1914) in 1878, and they had four children. Widowed in April 1914, in the following October Shrubsall married Nettie Fawcett (1865-1957), member of a West Norwood family with Wesleyan and temperance connections.

George Shrubsall died in Reigate on 15 February 1935. His funeral at Roupell Park was conducted by the Ex-President, F.L. Wiseman, and Dr Scott Lidgett gave the address.

Entry written by: MW
Category: Person
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