Philippe Auguste Lelasseur

Occupation:- Philippe Auguste was a Distiller of Essential Oils [England & Wales censuses of 1891, 1901 & 1911]. He came to England from France with his family, presumably in about 1887/88, and was a mint farmer, creating a company with an English name (but not spelt quite correctly): John Jakson in Mitcham, Surrey. In the 1880s, the village of Mitcham in Surrey was renowned around the world for the mint and lavender oil grown and distilled by John Jakson & Co. Indeed, Jakson’s Oils were sold from the 1880s to the 1930s. Products included “Best Mitcham Lavender Water” and “Jakson’s Peppermint.” The distillery was located at New Barns Farm on the Croydon Road in Mitcham. Originally it was part of the larger distillery business of James Arthur which was second only to the firm of Potter and Moore. The small herbal distillery was built in the 1820s. In the last years of the herbal industry prior to the First World War it was used by the French firm of John Jakson & Co. The distilling of peppermint and lavender continued until 1949.

For more information see:- Mitcham Histories Book 3 by Eric Montague and published by Merton Historical Society; and website www.museumofcroydon.com/ixbin/indexplus?record=CAT3913 for artefacts.

Philippe lived:- At birth (1839): Montreuil l'Argille, 27414, Eure, Haute-Normandie, France [address?]; 1839 – 1880: ? At marriage (abt 1880): France; 1881 – 1887 (births of 4 children): France; Emigrated to England: pres abt 1887/88; 1891 (census): Mitcham Road, Croydon, Surrey (with wife Baptistine, 2 sons Felix & Camille, 4 daughters Blanche, Rose, Desiree & Alice, and 3 servants); 1901 (census): Mitcham Villa, Mitcham Road, Croydon, Surrey [next to distillery] (with wife, 2 daughters Blanche & Gabrielle, and 2 servants) [3 dtrs Rose, Desiree & Alice away at boarding school]; 1911 (census): Mitcham Villa, Mitcham Road, Croydon, Surrey [next to distillery] (with wife, 4 daughters & 3 servants); At death (1921): Croydon, Surrey [address?]. See the Geneanet website <https://en.geneanet.org>.

Other information:- Probate 09 July 1921, Surrey, Beneficiary: Baptistine Antoinette Lelasseur [wife].