John Knowles.net

The home of Charles William KNOWLES, Head Gardener at Bagshot Park

This page provides information on Charles William KNOWLES who was related to our Great Grandfather. He was the son of Edward James KNOWLES a Carpenter and was born in 1857 and baptised on 13 December that year in Esher, Surrey. He died in 1941. In 1881 Charles was employed as a Gardener Domestic Servant at Greenlands Hambledon, Buckinghamshire. He married Sarah JONES (daughter of a Farm Bailiff Charles JONES) in 1882 in New Maldon, Essex and made his way up the gardening tree to become a Head Gardener of a Royal household. His brother who was two years younger, Philip Oswin KNOWLES (baptised 18 December 1859), became the Head Gardener at Friars Park. All of the KNOWLES men descended from agricultural labourers. Some became gardeners and others took the route into London and worked in factories. Our Great Grandfather bstarted his commercial working life as a Tinplate Worker and lived in Islington. Cyril Ward wrote a book on the Royal Gardens that was published in 1912. Charles is featured in the book and wrote a substantial article on his work at Bagshot. Sue and I visited the Park in 2006 and were taken round by the gardener, Tim Digman Wright - what a great name for a gardener. He had previously worked for the Queen Mother at Clarence House. By 1891 he was working at the Solna Gardens in Putney (now a housing area) as a Gardener and had just had his first child also called Charles W (presumed Willliam). He retired to Terrace Villas, Hammersmith not far from the Royal parks and gardens. He died in 1941 at the age of 84.