Weston family

The Weston family's monument at Mount Pleasant Cemetery, Toronto

The Weston family is a prominent family of businesspeople that was founded in Canada and eventually developed global business interests, primarily in the food and retail sectors.^[1] The family operations began with the purchase of a bakery in 1884 by American-born Canadian George Weston in Toronto, Ontario.^[2] Over the course of subsequent decades, his descendants also established themselves in the United Kingdom, Ireland and the United States.

Through George Weston Limited and various holding companies, the Canadian branch of the Weston family currently owns or controls over 200 companies, including the Loblaws supermarket chain and the Shoppers Drug Mart pharmacy chain. Among their other businesses, members of this branch own or control several additional retailers, including Holt Renfrew in Canada.^[3] They previously owned other upscale department stores in the Selfridges Group, including Selfridges in the UK, Brown Thomas and Arnotts in Ireland, and De Bijenkorf in the Netherlands.^[4][5]

The main holding company of the British branch of the family is Wittington Investments. 79.2% of this company belongs to a British charitable trust called the Garfield Weston Foundation, with the balance owned by various family members. Wittington Investments owns a majority stake in Associated British Foods (which itself owns the discount clothing chain Primark), and 100% of British retailers Fortnum & Mason and Heal's.

In 2021, The Sunday Times named the Weston family among the most charitable people over the past 20 years, with donations of £1.661 billion.^[6][7]

Wealth

In 2018, the Westons were named Ireland's richest family for the tenth year running, with a wealth of €11.42 billion.^[8]

In the Sunday Times Rich List 2020 ranking of the wealthiest people in the UK, "Guy Weston, Galen Weston Jr., George G. Weston and family" placed 8th in the list, with an estimated family fortune of £10.53 billion.^[9]

Family members

George Weston in 1911

• George Weston (1864–1924), married Emma Maud Richards; six children (of whom two sons and two daughters survived childhood),^[2] including:
  • W. Garfield Weston (1898–1978), married Reta Lila Howard (1897–1967); nine children:
    • Miriam Louise Weston (1922–2008),^[10] married Charles Ryland Burnett Jr. (1918–2004);^[11] one child:
      • Charles Ryland Burnett III (1956–2018)^[12]
    • George Grainger Weston (1923–2023),^[13][14] married the Hon. Caroline Cecily Douglas-Scott-Montagu (1925–2017), daughter of John Douglas-Scott-Montagu, 2nd Baron Montagu of Beaulieu; five children^[15][16]
      • Galvin Weston
      • Sarah Weston^[17]
      • Gregg Weston
      • Glenn Weston
      • Graham Weston^[18]
    • Barbara Elizabeth Weston (1926–2001),^[19] married Dr. Robert Ian Mitchell (1927–2002);^[20][21] six children:^[22]
      • Garfield Mitchell, two children
      • Eliza Mitchell^[23]
      • Mark W. Mitchell^[24]
      • Emma Susan Mitchell, married Charles Adamo^[25][21]
      • Sarah Mitchell, married Eric Siebert
      • Serena Mitchell, mother of 1 child
    • Garry Weston (1927–2002), married Mary Kippenberger, daughter of Major General Sir Howard Kippenberger; six children:
      • Sir Guy Weston (born 1960)^[26]
      • Jana Khayat (born 1961)
      • Kate Hobhouse (born 1962)^[27]
      • George G. Weston (born 1964)
      • Sophia Mason (born 1966)^[28]
      • Garth Weston (born 1969),^[29]
    • Nancy Weston,^[30] married Stanley Baron^[10]
    • Wendy Weston (born 1931),^[31] married Leslie Rebanks^[32]
      • Tamara Rebanks, married James Appleyard^[33]
      • Claudia Rebanks,^[34][35]
    • Gretchen Weston (born 1934),^[36] married Humberto Bauta
    • Camilla Weston (born 1937),^[37] married Peter Dalglish; three children:^[38]
      • Kim Dalglish, married Martin Abell
      • Geordie Dalglish, married Swith Bell
      • Genevieve Dalglish (1970–2017)^[38]
    • Galen Weston (1940–2021), married Hilary Frayne (born 1942); two children:
      • Alannah Weston (born 1972),^[39] married Alexander Cochrane,^[40] elder son of Sir Marc Cochrane, 4th Baronet
      • Galen Weston Jr. (born 1972),^[41] married Alexandra Schmidt, granddaughter of Thomas J. Bata^[42]

See also

• Garfield Weston Foundation (based in the United Kingdom)
• Weston Family Foundation (based in Canada)

References

1. Forbes: Galen Weston & Family
2. Badgley, Kerry (2005). "Weston, George". In Cook, Ramsay; Bélanger, Réal (eds.). Dictionary of Canadian Biography. Vol. XV (1921–1930) (online ed.). University of Toronto Press.
3. "Selfridges sold for £4bn to Thai-Austrian alliance". BBC News. 24 December 2021. Retrieved 24 December 2021.
4. "Brown Thomas and Arnotts may sell in £4bn Selfridges deal". Irish Times. Retrieved 21 January 2022.
5. "Selfridges owners agree £4bn sale to Thailand's Central Group". Retail Gazette. 2 December 2021. Retrieved 3 December 2021.
6. McCall, Nick Rodrigues and Alastair. "Marcus Rashford tops The Sunday Times Giving List 2021". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 24 July 2021.
7. "20 years of the Giving List by Alsastair McCall | CAF". www.cafonline.org. Retrieved 24 July 2021.
8. "Richest family in Ireland named... you've probably shopped in their stores". IrishCentral.com. 2 April 2018. Retrieved 13 November 2018.
9. Watts, Robert, ed. (17 May 2020). "The Sunday Times Rich List". The Sunday Times. Retrieved 17 May 2020.
10. "Miriam Burnett obituary". Toronto Star. Retrieved 7 August 2018.
11. "A Guide to the Burnett Family Papers". Burnett Family Papers. Retrieved 7 August 2018.
12. "Charles Burnett III Obituary". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved 7 August 2018.
13. "George Grainger Weston – Biography". Retrieved 8 August 2018.
14. "George Grainger Weston". The Globe & Mail. Retrieved 8 November 2023 – via Legacy.com.
15. "Caroline Cecily Douglas-Scott-Montagu". Burke's Peerage, Baronetage & Knightage, 107th edition. Wilmington, Delaware: Burke's Peerage (Genealogical Books) Ltd, 2003. Retrieved 8 August 2018.
16. "Caroline Weston Obituary". Legacy.com. Retrieved 20 December 2020.
17. "Sarah Weston EIDSON". Companies House. Retrieved 21 May 2023.
18. "Graham Montague Weston". Companies House. Retrieved 4 December 2022.
19. "Barbara Elizabeth Mitchell". The Globe and Mail (via Legacy.com). Retrieved 7 August 2022.
20. "Robert Ian Mitchell". The Globe and Mail (via Legacy.com). Retrieved 7 August 2022.
21. "Robert Ian MITCHELL". Retrieved 8 August 2018.
22. "Barbara Mitchell". Fraser Institute. 12 March 2015. Retrieved 7 August 2018.
23. "The Westons are flush with billions to deploy". opmwire.com. Retrieved 24 April 2023.
24. "Mark W. Mitchell – Biography". Retrieved 8 August 2018.
25. "Emma Susan Adamo – Biography". Retrieved 8 August 2018.
26. "No. 63218". The London Gazette (Supplement). 31 December 2020. p. N2.
27. "Anna Catrina HOBHOUSE". Companies House. Retrieved 21 May 2023.
28. "Sophia Mary WESTON". Companies House. Retrieved 21 May 2023.
29. "Garth John WESTON". Companies House. Retrieved 21 May 2023.
30. "Nancy Baron". Trans Canada Trail. Retrieved 21 May 2023.
31. "Mary Diane Wendy REBANKS". Companies House. Retrieved 21 May 2023.
32. "Wendy Rebanks". Loran Scholars Foundation. Retrieved 24 April 2023.
33. "James Appleyard & Tamara Rebanks". Loran Scholars Foundation. Retrieved 24 April 2023.
34. "Claudia Hepburn". NEXT Canada. Retrieved 24 April 2023.
35. "President's Choice: Establishment funds entrepreneur incubator". Financial Post. Retrieved 24 April 2023.
36. "Gretchen Ann BAUTA". Companies House. Retrieved 21 May 2023.
37. "Camilla Howard DALGLISH". Companies House. Retrieved 21 May 2023.
38. "Genevieve Dalglish Obituary". Toronto Star. Retrieved 7 August 2018.
39. "Alannah Weston". Companies House. Retrieved 4 December 2021.
40. Hampson, Sarah (15 December 2010). "Retail princess Alannah Weston, a maverick impresario". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 22 April 2021.
41. "Willard Galen Garfield Weston". Companies House. Retrieved 4 May 2019.
42. "The Weston family empire expands again". CBC News. 16 July 2013. Retrieved 21 April 2021.