Sir John Fitzgerald (1857 – 2 November 1930) was an Irish-born brewer and wine and spirit merchant, who served as Lord Mayor of Newcastle upon Tyne from 1914 to 1915. Born in Tipperary, he was

knighted A knight is a person granted an honorary title of knighthood by a head of state (including the Pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the Christian denomination, church or the country, especially in a military capacity. Knighthood ...

in the

1920 New Year Honours The New Year Honours 1920 were appointments by King George V to various orders and honours to reward and highlight good works by members of the British Empire. They were published on 1 January 1920 and 30 March 1920 (referred to as the 1920 civil ...

for his services to Newcastle. He founded the Sir John Fitzgerald pub chain that bears his name and was still owned and operated by his descendants until it was purchased by Ladhar Leisure in December 2020. He was a prominent Roman Catholic and generous benefactor to church charities. He donated Fitzgerald Hall to the church for use as a children's centre in memory of his son, Lieutenant Gerald Fitzgerald, who was killed in the First World War. He left a fortune of in excess of £270,000 (), including £1,000 bequeathed to the

Bishop of Hexham and Newcastle The Bishop of Hexham and Newcastle is the Ordinary of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle in the Province of Liverpool, known also on occasion as the Northern Province. History With the gradual abolition of the legal restricti ...

for distribution to Catholic charities.

References

1857 births 1930 deaths Mayors of Newcastle upon Tyne Knights Bachelor English brewers Irish brewers Wine merchants People from County Tipperary Date of birth missing Irish emigrants to the United Kingdom Businesspeople from County Tipperary {{England-mayor-stub