Over nearly thirty years as its chairman George Nelson built up the number of English Electric's employees from 4,000 to 80,000.

Educated at the City and Guilds Central Technical College in London he obtained a studentship at Brush Electrical Engineering in Loughborough for practical experience on the shop floor and in the drawing office.

He was succeeded in the barony by his only son, Henry George, who had followed him in 1956 as managing director and, after his death in 1962, as chairman of English Electric.

[1] He joined British Westinghouse in Manchester and rapidly progressed, being appointed chief electrical superintendent in 1914 aged 27.

[2] In 1930, he was appointed managing director of English Electric at the invitation of Sir Holberry Mensforth, with whom he worked at Westinghouse and who was now chairman of the financially troubled manufacturing firm, brought in during a period of reconstruction.