GLADIOLI AND ROSES FROM A LITTLE PORT

The Cambridgeshire village of Littleport, which is on the Great Ouse, was the home of the gladioli and rose breeder, Dr P.A. Hendley,

Born in 1879 in Jeypore, India, Philip Arthur Hendley was the son of a British Residential Surgeon for the Indian Medical Surgeon in Bengal. Despite being born in India, he gained a British Education, which included in 1891 being a boarding pupil under the tutorship of Lloyd Griffith M.A. (Oxon) at Hurst Court, Old London before later studying medicine at King's College, London. Part of this time he lodged with his older brother, Thomas, who was an article clerk in Marylebone. Having completed his studies, graduating in 1905, he took some time out to some travelling before settling in Bristol.

In 1909 he moved to Littleport in Cambridgeshire, where he set up up his own G.P.'s practice at Hereward House in the High Street. Since his time his old house has been demolished though the current house at number 48 High Street has the Old Hereward House name about its front door.

A member of the Royal Horticultural Society, who became well known for his production and hybridizing of gladioli, he was to serve with the Royal Medical Corps in the First World War.

As well as being the local doctor, he was a member of the Littleport Parish Council from 1928 until his death on July 14th, 1934 at the age of just fifty-five. He was buried in Littleport Cemetery three days later.

As well as his gladioli, he is known to have bred two roses:

Cynosure

- a pink rose with semi-double blooms which have a moderate fragrance and was submitted to the National Rose Society's trials in 1932.

The Magnet

- a scarlet rose with a moderate fragrance.

Sources of information include:

The Archives of the Littleport Village Society

The Annuals of the National Rose Society

Newspapers