John KIBBLE (1865–1951)
Antiquarian and stonemason
Stratford House, Well Hill (The Bottom), Finstock
John Kibble was a dedicated antiquarian and historian of the Wychwood area of Oxfordshire. He loved old documents, talked to many local villagers whilst on his travels as a stonemason, and collected coins, fossils, and artefacts. Some of his finds are in both the Charlbury and Woodstock museums. He is best known for his three engaging books: Charlbury and its Nine Hamlets (1927), Wychwood Forest and its Border Places (1928), and Charming Charlbury (1930). He researched, wrote, and illustrated these volumes. They provide a hugely rich source for the history of many local villages and are used today as source material by many local history societies.
John Kibble was born in Finstock in 1865 to William and Jane Kibble. His father was a stonemason and his grandfather ran the Crown Inn in the village.
John was apprenticed to his father and spent his working life as a stonemason in and around the Wychwood Forest villages. He eventually had his own workshop and built the lovely Victorian water fountain in Charlbury (left) in 1896. He was also well known locally as a Methodist preacher.
Thomas Stratford, his maternal grandfather, died in 1868 and the family moved to Stratford House to live with his grandmother Jane Stratford. John spent some of his childhood years there and had a special affection for Stratford House, the cottage at the foot of Well Hill (below).
The family later moved to School Road, Finstock, and later to Wellington Row in Charlbury. In 1889 he married Florence Hicks and in 1901 set up as a Monumental Mason at The Firs (now demolished), Pound Hill, Charlbury. There he had many sheds in his garden and loved to show people around his collection of fossils and historic artefacts. He died in 1951 and is buried in Charlbury churchyard.
Sources:
- Local records and details researched by Tony Cooper of the Finstock Local History Society
The plaque was unveiled at Stratford House on 5 July 2025. The tribute was delivered by Tony Cooper. Among those attending were the Vice-Chair of West Oxfordshire District Council (Cllr Carl Rylett), members of Finstock LHS, members and associates of the Oxfordshire Blue Plaques Board, and local residents.
Photographs taken at the ceremony:
- Tony Cooper delivering the tribute
- Dignitaries: Roy Townsend, founder of the Finstock Local History Society, flanked by Melissa Bosher and Frank Bosher, with Tony Cooper and Cllr Carl Rylett behind
Speech made by Tony Cooper at the ceremony (PDF)
Oxfordshire Blue Plaques Board
JOHN KIBBLE
1865–1951
Stonemason
Antiquarian and historian
of Wychwood
Lived here
as a child
Finstock Local History Society
