IT was a pleasure to hear from Mrs Diane Warren this week, whose granddaughter has just won a Sir Samuel Mico scholarship.

Proud grandmother Mrs Warren, of Weymouth, has been reading up on the London merchant who used Weymouth as his base, and proved to be such a generous figure in the town.

She wrote: "Sir Samuel owned The George tavern on Weymouth quayside in the 1660s.

"It makes very interesting reading as he left The George, plus some money, to be held in trust and used, in short, for scholarships for those aged between 16-24 years of age.

"I only heard of him as my granddaughter has won a scholarship this year and reading the little about him on the internet is very interesting and I thought your readers in general would like to hear of such a generous person of so long ago."

We can add a little to Mrs Warren's research with some more information about Sir Samuel.

He conducted his business from premises on Weymouth Quay on the site of which now stands the George Inn.

The Weymouth merchant is remembered every Friday before Palm Sunday at St Mary's Church in the town centre.

A stipulation of his 1665 will is that a 'good divine' is paid 20 shillings to preach at the service.

Sir Samuel left £10 and the George Inn in his will, today administered by Weymouth Town Charities, giving grants to apprentices and 'decayed seamen'.

The Sir Samuel Mico charities, administered by the Weymouth Town Charities, helps a variety of recipients.

Local youngsters have benefitted from grants for educational course fees, living costs for those on educational courses, equipment or tools in connection to courses. Some have even been able to go on a Tall Ship voyage thanks to the Trust.

*Is there a well known local figure who you would like us to remember in these pages? If so get in touch with Looking Back by emailing joanna.davis@dorsetecho.co.uk