On 26th April 1848 in the little Norfolk village of Methwold,
Harriet Fendick Tibbett gave birth to a son whom she registered on 15th August 1848 as
Ivor Frederick Tibbett. The father may have been Gamaliel Chilvers, who subsequently moved
to King's Lynn.
Harriet Tibbett was not only a single mum but at the time she registered Frederick's birth she had to sign with a cross, suggesting that she was illiterate. That she raised Frederick and that he received an education is clear, although how this was achieved is not. By the time he was 22 he had become a gardener, employed in Hockwold cum Wilton, a few miles south of Methwold, and he married Matilda (Tilly) Woolsey, the daughter of James Woolsey and Susan Johnson.
| Frederick and Matilda circa 1885 | |
At this time, Frederick gave his name as Frederick Chilvers Tibbett. Presumably his mother told him who his father had been and Frederick sought to claim the paternity. His family and friends always called him "Pa".
Frederick and Tilly had four children, three daughters and a son. The first two, Violet and Lillian were born in Hockwold in 1872 and 1873 respectively, where Frederick continued as a gardener. By 1878 when Linnaeus (Linn), his only son, was born, he was a nurseryman, and in 1881 the census shows him as a farmer employing two men and a boy. His third daughter, Elaine Ivy was born in 1887, and by 1891 lived in Hunstanton at the "Floretum" as a florist/gardener. Exactly when he became owner of the nursery at Heacham is unclear - it could have been as early as 1878 or before.
His nursery was successful - it received a royal warrant from Queen Alexandra because of his work supplying plants for and working on the gardens at Sandringham. He bred a new apple which was called (after his friend) the "Robert Blatchford" and which is now on the rare breeds list; the large cooking apples were over two pounds (900grams) each.
Frederick died in 1917, (Noticably the "Tibbett" had disappeared) and his obituary in the Clarion not only was provided by a friend, Harry Lowerison, but by the joint editor, Robert Blatchford as well, both of whom talk of "Pa Chilvers" in glowing terms. Too large to quote in entirety, it is worth looking at just one paragraph:
"He was the happiest man I have ever known, and the most
unselfish ... never have I known a human being so indifferent to money. He had no vices,
no expensive tastes, no indulgences. He worked hard, for he loved work and loved his
garden and he took no wages. There was not a black drop of envy in his blood nor a weak
drop of vanity. He was a man of gentle thoughts and calm desires. He loved birds and
flowers and poetry and the colour of the changing skies and the grey North Sea. He was
tenderly fond of children...courteous to women, with a fine, helpful, unobtrusive courtesy
as natural to him as his large tolerance and ... his tact in all things debatable was
natural to him. All women liked him; all children loved him."
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An early photograph of Linnaeus |
Linnaeus (Linn) took over the nursery on his father's death, and in 1932, together with Francis Dusgate, the owner of Caley Mill, he planted six acres of lavender at Fring, and thus founded Norfolk Lavender, now famous for its perfumes all over the world. Linn married Rosa Emily Ford in 1907, but the marriage did not last, perhaps because Rosa did not want children; they separated and she became an hotelier in Hunstanton. Linn died on 10th April 1953, but his signature still appears on the company writing paper, and Caley Mill remains as the headquarters.
One sister, Lilian Emma, died in 1891, but Violet and Ivy
survived into old age and helped with Linn's business at the nursery.They never married,
and Violet died in 1957 and Ivy in 1960, thus bringing to an end this branch of the
Chilvers family, which may have been short but was clearly illustrious, and I am sure that
Harriet Fendick Tibbett would have been proud of them all.
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Back to the Chilvers Story Index | This page was updated on 5 June 2000 |