TIBBENHAM, Percy
Percy Tibbenham was born at Ipswich on 12 February 1884 and baptised at St Margaret's Ipswich on 16 April 1884, youngest child of John Tibbenham (c1842-16 February 1918), carver & gilder, and his wife Emma née Davy (c1840-1909), who married at Ipswich in 1866, many local pictures have the name of Tibbenham's on their frames. In 1891, Percy was a 7-year-old, living at 32 Carr Street, Ipswich with his parents, 48-year-old John and 48-year-old Emma, and his five siblings William Tibbenham 22, Arthur 20, Frank 16, Louis 12 and Frederick 9, all born at Ipswich. Educated at Ipswich Boys' Middle School and he studied at the Ipswich Municipal Technical School passing examinations in drawing in 1909 and, like his brother William, apprenticed to his father. In 1911, a 27-year-old carver & guilder still living with his parents, who had taken the adjoining shop, and were now at 32-34 Carr Street. Percy married at Ipswich in 1919, Agnes Edith Cooke, Agnes Edith Tibbenham, and they lived at 'Maryland Cottage', 18 Crabbe Street, Ipswich. A member of the Ipswich Art Club 1929-1945 but was a picture dealer rather than an artist and does not seem to have exhibited. In 1939, an art dealer & valuer, living at 18 Crabbe Street, Ipswich with his wife Agnes Edith and daughter Mary Ann [Baker] (born 17 March 1920), a shorthand typist. Percy Tibbenham was still of 18 Crabbe Street, Ipswich when he died at the East Suffolk & Ipswich Hospital on 16 November 1945, aged 61. The famous Ipswich firm of picture frame makers & art gallery, continued for a time under his son John William Tibbenham but in a very much reduced form at 40a Foundation Street, Ipswich. The family were in the gallery, picture framing and furniture businesses in Ipswich for over a century, the brother, Frederick Tibbenham (12 May 1881-26 June 1947) who married Eliza Short in 1903, founded the Ipswich firm of furniture manufacturers.