George Chappell was born in Somerset in 1856. He was a railway signalman and moved to Derbyshire, where he married Emily and had 5 children:
- William Whitehead (1880-1925)
- Miriam Mary (1881-1911)
- Ethel Mary (1883-1962)
- George (1887-1918)
- Annie (1890-1919)
By 1901 they were living on Ruskin Avenue, Sawley and seems to have been involved with others in the development of the Avenue. That year they agreed with the Parish Council to cover the causeway over the golden brook in asphalt. They asked for tenders for 688 yards of asphalt. In 1903 George was selling the freehold of 2 houses in Ruskin Avenue. In 1904 they formed the Barn Farm Land Society, with George as secretary. By 1911 George and Emily were at 88 Wilsthorpe Lane and both George and his younger son, also George, were lace manufacturers at Birchwood Mills, employing 2 others.
William Whitehead Chappell moved to Canada and settled in Manitoba.
Miriam Mary Chappell married Silas Roe Turner (1875-1941) in 1901. Silas went into business with Miriam’s father, which he took over after George (senior) died in 1928. Silas and Miriam lived at 87 Wilsthorpe Road and had 2 daughters. He was a staunch Methodist and associated with the Wesleyan Chapel in Sawley.
A year after Miriam died in 1911 Silas married her sister Ethel Mary Chappell. They stayed at 87 Wilsthorpe Road.
George Chappell (1887-1918) was born in Pilsley (near Bakewell). He joined the Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) in July 1917, shortly after his marriage to Vena Blanche Hurley. On 1 April 1918, the RNAS merged with the Royal Flying Corps to form the Royal Air Force. That day George was sick ashore. He died on 3 Jul 1918 at Norwood Cottage Hospital, Croydon. A funeral service was held at New Sawley Methodist Church, and he was buried in Sawley Churchyard.
About the same time Ethel married Silas, her younger sister Annie Chappell married Arthur Bennett.