Kitching's Chemist

Arthur was the second child of Charles and was born in 1869 and was considered the most academic of the family, he was educated at Newport Grammar School and trained in London to be a dispensing chemist. 

He worked in London for some time along with elder brother Harry but then retuned to Oakengates and married a very pretty & attractive girl Mary Ferriday. 

After Arthur’s father died he took over the running of the business for his mother and changed the name to A.S. Kitching doubtless for convenience although he never actually owned the business. 

Arthur had two sons Charles Francis & Arthur Lionel and was a devoted son and looked after his mothers delicate health, he was a tower of strength to the little household up at Red Lake. 

Arthur sadly became ill in November 1903 and unable to cure himself he walked up the steep hills of St Georges to see Dr McCarthy but as soon as he saw Arthur he dropped everything to take him home to bed but Arthur sadly passed soon after at the young age of 34 from Rheumatic Fever.  

His mother Mary continued to run the family businesses (chemist & tobacconist) until her eldest grandson Charles Francis took over. 
 

Charles Francis was born on the 7^th December 1897 and again trained as a dispensing chemist. 

He Married Eunice Poppitt whose family owned a hotel in Coalbrookdale. They had two sons Arthur Henry Scott & Richard Francis, While Arthur would go on to run the family business, Richard (known to all as Dick) would go on to own and run a motor garage situated at the top of Hearts Hill Oakengates. 

During the First World War being a dispensing chemist was a reserved occupation and for this reason he was never called to service but became a special constable in Oakengates and during the second world war he was to old for service and continued running the business in Oakengates. 

Charles sadly passed in the summer of 1975 due to old age.

Arthur Henry Scott was born on the 29^th October 1922, he was called to serve in the RAF during the second world war at the age of 18 sadly this ment he never got the chance to train as a dispensing chemist but would still go on to run the family businesses with his father. 

Known to all as Scott he married Winfred Frost (known to all as Bessi) and had two sons Frederick Charles & Richard Scott who would go on the run the businesses after his death. 

Sadly Scott passed in 1982 of cancer shortly after this forth grandchild was born. His four grandchildren were John Paul Scott, Clair Rowena, Diane & Kevin Scott.

Richard was born on the 25^th October 1953 and was second child to Arthur Henry Scott, he with brother Fredrick Charles took over the running of the family businesses upon there father’s death and Richard is still the Managing Director of A.S. Kitching Ltd to this day. 

Richard was educated at Trench Boys School, He married Glynis Kiely and has two children Diane & Kevin Scott, Glynis also works for the family business as one of the medicines counter assistants. 

It was Richard’s father, Scott, that gave him the money to start the business’ vending service, which added a third arm to the A.S. Kitching Ltd business with his brother running the chemist. 

Following his brother’s death in 2003 Richard took full ownership of A.S. Kitching Ltd but the vending and tobacconist businesses are now run by his nephew & niece John Paul Scott (known to all as Paul) & Clair Rowena who are now trading as Kitchings in Market Street Oakengates. 

A.S. Kitching Ltd aka Kitching’s Chemist continues to be a dispensing chemist at Limes Walk Oakengates.

Diane was born on the 17^th May 1978 and is eldest child to Richard & Glynis. She was educated at Wrockwardine Wood Secondary School before attending De Montfort University in Leicester where she trained as a dispensing Chemist. 

Diane is extremely well educated and is always attending the latest courses to ensure she is a pharmacist of the highest quality, she also continues to learn for pleasure taking language courses.   

Diane gave birth to her first child Emma Louise on the 21^st March 2008. Diane is the Superintendent Pharmacist at A.S. Kitching Ltd running the business with father Richard Scott & brother Kevin Scott.     

Kevin Scott Kitching 1982 – To Date,  Married to Suzanne Kitching 

Kevin was born on the 15^th January 1982 and is youngest child to Richard & Glynis. He like elder sister Diane was educated at Wrockwardine Wood Secondary School but decided not to proceed to University and instead worked as an electronics engineer for the MOD straight from school. 

Once he decided engineering wasn’t for him he spent 7 years in the Financial Services industry before being drafted into A.S. Kitching Ltd to take over the running of the finance for the business. He is also now studying for his accountancy diploma. 

Kevin married Suzanne D’Ambrosio on the 2^nd September 2007 at the Valley Hotel in Ironbridge and Suzanne joined A.S. Kitching Ltd in January 2008 as a trainee pharmacy technician.   

Today’s A.S. Kitching Ltd 

So six generations on since the family started trading in Oakengates they are still going with no less than 5 family members all working for the business, they also employ an additional 10 members of staff of whom some have worked for the family for over 30 years.