George Samuel Ford (1790–1868) was a bill discounter (money lender) and solicitor who took interest in the financial affairs of many gentlemen of the period including the Lords Lichfield, Chesterfield, Suffield and the Count d'Orsay.[1] A passionate follower of the turf, he was known in horseracing circles as "Lawyer Ford".

Ford's offices were at 8 Henrietta Street, Covent Garden, London; his residential properties were in Stratton Street, London and Brunswick Square, Brighton. He was born in St Clement Danes, London,[2] and in 1816 married Hanna Bramah (1795–1862) at St George's, Hanover Square. Their children included Sir Theodore Thomas Ford, who became Chief Justice for the Straits Settlements,[3] Horace Alfred Ford, one of the greatest target archers of all time, and William Augustus Ford,[4][5] who followed Ford into the business and was a cricketer who played for the MCC. Ford's grandchildren included Francis Ford, a good cricketer who played for his country, Lionel Ford who became headmaster of Harrow and the painter Henry Justice Ford.

Ford kept horseracing stables and a stud in Newmarket and had interests in Epsom.

Bryndu Colliery
In 1842 Ford became the owner of Bryndu Colliery, Glamorgan, after the owner, Charles O'Neill, became bankrupt owing him £6,000. Ford set up a partnership with 2 of his sons – William Augustus Ford and Horace Alfred Ford – to run the colliery.[16] The partnership was dissolved in July 1858[17] following an explosion in the pit that killed 12 miners.[18] There had been a previous explosion in 1853 when 4 miners had been killed.

Horse racing
Ford was passionately fond of horse racing and owned a stable and stud in Newmarket. In 1841 he was also the owner of a Newmarket property called Fidget Hall, a stud farm just beyond Bury Hill that was later renamed Moulton Paddocks.[19] His big wins included the Oaks Stakes in 1843 with Poison and the Coronation Stakes with Guaracha in 1846. Some of the horses he sold on from his stable had later success including The Hermit (1851) by Bay Middleton out of Jenny Lind. Ford acquired several of Lord Chesterfield's horses in 1850, and immediately put these up for sale including Lady Evelyn by Don John, (winner of the Oaks 1849), and Mrs Taft, a future Cesarewitch Handicap winner.[20]