McGill Libraries
McLennan Library Building3459 rue McTavish
Montreal, Quebec
H3A 0C9
Philip Oswin Knowles served as the prominent Head Gardener to Sir Frank Crisp at Friar Park in Henley-on-Thames from 1888 to 1919. He helped oversee the construction and meticulous care of the estate's legendary, eccentric gardens (which later became the famous home of George Harrison). He was known for his uncompromising standards, famously quoted as saying the estate's proprietor was "nothing if not thorough". He was part of a noted lineage of professional British gardeners; his brother Charles William Knowles was the Head Gardener to the Duke of Connaught at Bagshot Park.