Sir Edmund Vestey, 1st Baronet, Date of Birth, Date of Death
TweetSir Edmund Vestey, 1st Baronet
English businessman
Date of Birth: 03-Feb-1866
Date of Death: 18-Nov-1953
Profession: businessperson
Nationality: United Kingdom
Zodiac Sign: Aquarius 
About Sir Edmund Vestey, 1st Baronet
- Sir Edmund Hoyle Vestey, 1st Baronet (3 February 1866 – 18 November 1953) was an English food producer and importer and shipowner, and co-founder with his brother William of Vestey Brothers. Vestey was born in Rainford, Lancashire, the fifth child of provision merchant Samuel Vestey.
- He was educated at the Liverpool Institute and then joined his father's firm in 1883.
- He was soon given the management of his father's corned beef cannery in Chicago.
- In 1890 he joined William in his new business of importing refrigerated meat from Argentina.
- The Union Cold Storage Company was to become one of the world's largest cold storage operations.
- They began to diversify into other food products and in 1906 also began importing from China.
- In 1909, they purchased two tramp steamers (Pakeha, renamed Broderick, and Rangatira, renamed Brodmore) for the China trade and converted them into refrigerated ships.
- This was the beginning of the Blue Star Line, which was registered in 1911.
- They set up their own cattle ranches in Argentina.
- By 1925 the Blue Star Line was the largest refrigerated fleet in the world.
- In the United Kingdom the Vestey brothers owned 2,365 butcher's shops.
- Edmund succeeded William as chairman in 1940 and held the post until his death in 1953. He was created a Baronet in the 1921 Birthday Honours for his services in supplying food to British troops during the First World War.Vestey married Sarah Barker on 15 August 1887; they had 7 children.
- After their divorce, Sarah married Conservative Member of Parliament Sir William Lane-Mitchell.
- Vestey married Ellen Soward on 10 March 1926, and they remained together until his death.
- They had no children.Vestey is the great-great-grandfather of actor Tom Hiddleston.
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