Reginald Harry ‘Tim’ Fidler, 1899-1966.
On 25th June 1942 Francis Collinson collected two songs – ‘Buttercup Joe’ and ‘The Cricketer’ – from Tim Fidler, landlord of The George at Bethersden. He may have been known as Tim but was in fact registered at birth as Reginald Harry Fidler. He was baptised at St John the Baptist, Mersham on 9th July 1899. His parents were Annie, née Plascott, originally from Exbury in Hampshire; and William Joseph Fidler, born at Wickham, Berkshire, but now working as a game keeper, and living at Quarrington Cottage, Mersham. From 1908 onwards, William Fidler was licensee of The Black Horse at Pluckley, where he remained until his death in January 1932 (his son, William Frank Fidler, succeeded him as landlord, but sadly he too died, in April of the same year).
When Tim Fidler married in April 1933, his bride was Elsie Mary Philpott, whose father, William Philpott, the landlord of The George Inn. Mr Philpott died in June 1933 and it would appear that his son-in-law took over as landlord, and remained at the pub until the 1960s (when his wife Elsie died in April 1963, the notice in the Maidstone Telegraph gave her address as The George). Tim Fidler died on 5th April 1966; his address was given as 6 St Peter’s Cottages, Bethersden, so we can assume that he had retired at some point following his wife’s death.
Songs
- Buttercup Joe (Roud 1635)
- The Cricketer (Roud 21876)