The childhood home of Sir Joseph Nickerson.
‘Elm Villa’, 18 Queen’s Parade, Grimsby was the childhood home of one of Lincolnshire’s most important personalities, Joseph Nickerson. The address is written in his schoolbooks.
Sir Joseph Nickerson (1914-1990) was very successful entrepreneur and innovative agriculturalist. He was responsible for providing employment for a large number of people in the Grimsby area, initially, and then far beyond. Companies resulting from his vision include:
The Nickerson Seed Co. Rothwell Plant Breeders (now Limagrain) International Plant Breeders (Brasil) Cherry Valley Farms Concord Farms (USA) Cotswold Pig Development Company
Locally, the businesses he established have or had connections with the villages of Rothwell, Holton-le-Clay, Caistor and Claxby and also Field House and Victoria Mills in Grimsby.
Joseph Nickerson was famous for his dominant personality. He was a Home Guard commander during WW2. Aside from his other businesses, he was a farmer, a naturalist and a sportsman. His game shoots were legendary and even made the Guinness Book of Records. He often hosted Royal visitors at Rothwell and at Middleton House in Middleton-in-Teesdale. He also owned Read’s Island in the River Humber.
Perhaps, Sir Joseph Nickerson will be best remembered for the superior varieties of crop species he introduced and bred and made available to British farmers. Plant Breeders should remember what ‘JN’ did to secure plant breeders’ rights and the payment of royalties. The Plant Varieties and Seeds Act became law in 1964.
Joseph Nickerson was knighted in 1983 for his services to agriculture. He died in Palm Beach, Florida in 1990.
Much more about ‘JN’ can be learnt from his biography ‘Roots in the Soil: An Adventure in Agriculture’ by Ralph Whitlock and ‘A Shooting Man’s Creed’ by Sir Joseph Nickerson.
Note: Sir Joseph Nickerson’s father was Ernest W. Nickerson, ‘EN’. E. Nickerson & Co. Ltd. were exporters and shippers of coal and coke. They also supplied agricultural chemicals. The company was located at Royal Dock chambers, Cleethorpe Road.
