BOWS, ARROWS AND ROSES

As far as I know their are just two roses bred by William Archer, who ran a nursery in the tiny village of Monk's Horton near Ashford in Kent with his daughter, Muriel, still for sale in the UK. Those two roses being Dainty Bess and Ellen Willmott.

William Edward Basil Archer was a typical Yorkshireman and is said to have been both a hard task master and to have not suffered fools lightly, was born at Bradford on June 30th, 1861. Originally a furniture designer, who started growing roses and breeding roses before setting up a nursery with his daughter. Muriel, having had success with his roses as an amateur. Muriel becoming the Company Secretary of their new business, W.E.B. Archer and Daughter.

His roses being:

Bonnie Jean - is a hybrid tea rose with cherry-red flowers that they introduced in 1933.

Break O'Day - has pink flowers and is a ground cover rose they introduced in 1937.

Carnival - is believed to be extinct and is a hybrid tea rose that had orange-pink flowers. It had been introduced in 1932.

Dainty Bess- was introduced in 1927 and named in memory of his late wife, who had died in 1920. A hybrid tea rose, which he had bred by crossing Ophelia with K of K, it has light pink single leafed flowers and grows to about 90cm by 60.

Elfin - is a floribunda rose with cherry-red flowers that are shaded with orange-salmon. It was introduced in 1939.

Ellen Willmott - was named in memory of the horticulturist and important member of the Royal Horticultural Society, who created of a wonderful garden at Warley Place in Essex. The rose, which Archer bred by crossing Dainty Bess with Lady Hillingdon, was introduced in 1935 which was a year after her death. It has golden yellow flowers that fade to cream and grows to about 90cm by 60.

Everbloom - is a climbing polyantha rose that can grow to over 10 feet tall. It is a seedling of Phyllis Bide and bears it deep pink flowers in clusters.

Fairy Cluster - is a floribunda rose that was bred from Dainty Bess and Ideal. It flowers, which are rose-pink, are slightly scented.

Folkestone - was introduced in 1936 and is a floribunda rose with dark red semi-double flowers that have a slight fragrance.

Gaiety - has salmon-pink flowers that are flushed with yellow. It is a hybrid tea rose that has moderately fragrant flowers.

Golden Crest - is a climbing rose that is ideal for pillars and grows to about 180cm (6') tall. Introduced in 1948, it has yellow flowers that have a moderate fragrance.

Guardsman - has slightly fragrant bright scarlet flowers that have a yellow base. Introduced in 1937, it is a hybrid tea rose that was bred by crossing an unnamed seedling with Shot Silk.

Hythe Cluster - is a hybrid polyantha rose that the Archers introduced in 1935. It has semi-double deep pink flowers.

Joyous Cavalier - was bred from Red-Letter Day and Clarence Goodacre. It is a hybrid tea that has red blooms that open fully and was introduced in 1926.

June - was introduced in 1937 and is a hybrid tea rose with shell-pink flowers.

Lancashire Lass - has moderately fragrant secret-cerise semi-double flowers and is a hybrid tea rose that was introduced in 1939.

Little Bridesmaid - is a hybrid tea rose with shell-pink flowers that was introduced in 1940.

Little Nell -was introduced in 1929, it is a hybrid tea with deep cream flowers that have primrose on the reverse and an apricot centre.

Maid of Kent - was bred by crossing Ophelia with Mrs. W.J. Grant and was introduced in 1929. It is a hybrid tea rose that has soft salmon-pink flowers with a moderate fragrance.

Muriel - was named by Archer after his daughter. It was introduced in 1929 and has velvety scarlet flowers. It is a hybrid tea rose.

Nocturne - is a floribunda rose with deep red flowers.

Poppy - was introduced in 1939 and has flowers that turn from coral-pink to shell-pink as they age. They have a moderate fragrance,

Red Admiral - has red flowers and is a floribunda rose that was introduced in 1940.

Rose du Barri - is a hybrid polyantha rose with salmon-pink flowers, that was introduced in 1940 and was awarded a certificate of merit by the Royal National Rose Society.

Rosette - has white flowers and is a floribunda rose.

The Daily Mail Scented Rose - was bred by crossing Chateau de Clois and K & K. It is a hybrid tea rose with dark, velvety red flowers that have a fine fragrance.

1927

1928

The Old Fashioned Rose - was introduced in 1930 and is a hybrid tea rose with crimson flowers.

Having found it hard to re-establish the business after the Second World War, having lost all his rose stock as their land had to be turned over to the production of food during the war and he being then in his mid 70s, they decided to close the business down and retire to Sussex. He was to die in Worthing in 1950, while his daughter was to die unmarried in 1952.