Charles Fibbens - father of Charles James Fibbens

Charles Fibbens – Father of Charles Fibbens junior

Charles Fibbens was born on 19 December 1848 in Angmering where the surname was common. He worked in journalism for almost 60 years and spent most of his life in Worthing. By 1861 the family had moved to Worthing Newtown. This was what the Clifton Road area was called at that time..
Charles was a determined, hard-working man, teaching himself Pitman’s shorthand in the early hours of the day. Aged 20, he became a member of the Phonetic Society and was granted a Teacher’s certificate. Already he was working for Owen Breads, a printer, stationer and proprietor of the Library in Warwick Street. By the time the 3 years of his apprenticeship were up he was a reporter at local meetings and a year later when Breads left Worthing his successor, Frederick Lucy, employed Charles as editor, reporter, printer and publisher of his newspaper.
Still in his twenties, Charles became a district reporter for the “Sussex Daily News”.
In 1880 Charles married Caroline Hodgson ( sometimes her surname was confused with her mother’s maiden name of Higgins, but her father was James Hodgson) on 18 October at Kennington, Surrey. Their son, Charles James, died at the age of 12 months in 1883 and Caroline died the following year aged 26. In 1887 Charles married Rebecca Hutson in Worthing. They had two children – Margaret Ada and Charles William. (After service in the Tank Corps between 1916 and 1919, Charles William joined his father at the “Worthing Gazette” and worked there for over 34 years, becoming Managing Director)
In the early 1890s Charles senior was reporting for “Sheldrake’s Military Journal” in Aldershot. His next appointment was with the “Tottenham Herald”. After 2 years he returned to Worthing to take charge of the “Sussex Coast Mercury” and lived in Paragon Street.
He rented a shop in Montague Street and opened a tobacconist and stationer business as well as doing a little printing. He renewed his acquaintance with the “Sussex Daily News” and continued with the “Sussex Coast Mercury”. Giving up the shop he moved to the West Worthing area. Charles then became Secretary to the Theatre Company in Ann Street as well as teaching shorthand at private schools.
He took part in a great deal of voluntary work which included being honorary secretary of the Britannia Rotary Club and the Excelsior Cycling Club. He himself was a keen cyclist. His other interests were literature and music, playing billiards and he was a skilled player of the concertina.
In the autumn of 1895 he was made a partner in the management of the “Worthing Gazette” and a Director in 1922.
He died on 11 March 1925 leaving more than £13,800.