(Sir) Edward Packard, junior (1843,
Saxmundham
Saxmundham ( ) is a market town in Suffolk, England, set in the valley of the River Fromus about north-east of Ipswich and west of the coast at Sizewell. The town is bypassed by the main A12 road between London and Lowestoft. The town is ser ...
- 1932
Bramford
Bramford is a village in the Mid Suffolk district of Suffolk, England. It is three miles west of Ipswich of which it forms part of the wider Ipswich Built-up area. It was recorded in the Domesday Book as "Brunfort" or "Branfort". The River Gipp ...
), was an English businessman who developed a major artificial fertilizer industry near
Ipswich
Ipswich () is a port town and borough in Suffolk, England, of which it is the county town. The town is located in East Anglia about away from the mouth of the River Orwell and the North Sea. Ipswich is both on the Great Eastern Main Line r ...
, Suffolk. He also was active in the formation and development of the
Ipswich Art Club, also contributing a number of his paintings to various exhibitions.
Early life
Edward Packard was born in 1843 at
Saxmundham
Saxmundham ( ) is a market town in Suffolk, England, set in the valley of the River Fromus about north-east of Ipswich and west of the coast at Sizewell. The town is bypassed by the main A12 road between London and Lowestoft. The town is ser ...
in
Suffolk, the son of
Edward Packard senior. He was educated at
King's College, London
King's College London (informally King's or KCL) is a public university, public research university located in London, England. King's was established by royal charter in 1829 under the patronage of George IV of the United Kingdom, King G ...
and the
Royal Agricultural College
;(from Virgil's Georgics)"Caring for the Fieldsand the Beasts"
, established = 2013 - University status – College
, type = Public
, president = King Charles
, vice_chancellor = Peter McCaffery
, students ...
at
Cirencester
Cirencester (, ; see below for more variations) is a market town in Gloucestershire, England, west of London. Cirencester lies on the River Churn, a tributary of the River Thames, and is the largest town in the Cotswolds. It is the home of ...
. He joined his father in business as a
dispensing chemist
A pharmacist, also known as a chemist (Commonwealth English) or a druggist (North American and, archaically, Commonwealth English), is a healthcare professional who prepares, controls and distributes medicines and provides advice and instructi ...
at
Bramford
Bramford is a village in the Mid Suffolk district of Suffolk, England. It is three miles west of Ipswich of which it forms part of the wider Ipswich Built-up area. It was recorded in the Domesday Book as "Brunfort" or "Branfort". The River Gipp ...
in 1866,
Business career
In 1872 when the Packards patented a new type of highly
concentrate
A concentrate is a form of substance that has had the majority of its base component (in the case of a liquid: the solvent) removed. Typically, this will be the removal of water from a solution or suspension, such as the removal of water from ...
d
superphosphate Triple superphosphate is a component of fertilizer that primarily consists of monocalcium phosphate, Ca(H2PO4)2. Triple superphosphate is obtained by treating phosphate rock with phosphoric acid. Traditional routes for extraction of phosphate roc ...
, the works covered four acres of land with a surrounding village of houses for employees, and 800 tons of superphosphates and other manures were being produced every week. He stated before the Ipswich Dock Commissioners that of 882 vessels clearing outwards of the
Port of Ipswich
The Port of Ipswich can be dated to c.625. The name Ipswich was originally Gippeswyc, referring to the River Gyppes with a suffix derived from the Scandinavian term vik, which had evolved from meaning bay or inlet to mean landing-place, followin ...
in 1871, 425 were loaded by this firm. He was influential in attempts to
rationalize the fertiliser industry in the 1880s, and in attempts to impose higher quality standards. In 1919 he oversaw negotiations leading to the merger of his business with ''James Fison (Thetford) Ltd'' ultimately leading to the formation of ''Packard and James Fison (Thetford) Ltd'' ('
Fisons
Fisons plc was a British multinational pharmaceutical, scientific instruments and horticultural chemicals company headquartered in Ipswich, United Kingdom. It was listed on the London Stock Exchange and was once a constituent of the FTSE 100 Ind ...
') of which he became
Chairman
The chairperson, also chairman, chairwoman or chair, is the presiding officer of an organized group such as a board, committee, or deliberative assembly. The person holding the office, who is typically elected or appointed by members of the grou ...
.
Cultural activities
He was an active member of Dr.
John Taylor's Ipswich Science-Gossip Society from the late 1860s. He received, accompanied and led the Society's inspection of the works in 1872. An enthusiast for fine art, Packard played a major role in founding the
Ipswich Fine Art Club in 1874.
In time became Chairman of the Ipswich School of Arts. He maintained and continued his father's strong interest in and support for the
Ipswich Museum
Ipswich Museum is a registered museum of culture, history and natural heritage located on High Street in Ipswich, the county town of Suffolk. It was historically the leading regional museum in Suffolk, housing collections drawn from both the fo ...
, and served as Chairman of its Committee from 1894 to 1926.
He was active in negotiating arrangements for
Nina Layard to conduct extensive excavations and to have curatorship of her collections at
Christchurch Mansion
Christchurch Mansion is a substantial Tudor brick mansion house built in Ipswich, Suffolk by Edmund Withypoll (also written "Withipoll") around 1548–50. The Grade I listed building is located within Christchurch Park and sits by the southe ...
in 1906-07, under very trying circumstances.
Family life
In 1867 Packard married Ellen Turner, the daughter of Walton Turner. Their daughter, Edith Celia (later Mrs Alfred Farrar) was born in 1871, and lived until 1962.
Public positions
He served as
High Steward of Ipswich
This is a list of people who have served as High Steward (civic), High Steward of Ipswich in Suffolk.
* 1557-1580: William Cordell, Sir William Cordell
* 1581-1590: Francis Walsingham, Sir Francis Walsingham
* 1590-1596: Henry Carey, 1st Baron Hun ...
, 1916-1932; Chairman of the Harwich Harbour Board; President of the Suffolk Chamber of Agriculture; Chairman of the Ipswich Museum & Free Library Committee, and Chairman of the Ipswich School of Arts. He was knighted in 1922 and died at his home in
Bramford
Bramford is a village in the Mid Suffolk district of Suffolk, England. It is three miles west of Ipswich of which it forms part of the wider Ipswich Built-up area. It was recorded in the Domesday Book as "Brunfort" or "Branfort". The River Gipp ...
in 1932.
[''Oxford D.N.B.'']
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Packard, Edward
1843 births
1932 deaths
Alumni of King's College London
British businesspeople
People from Saxmundham