John Alexander Tilleard

John Alexander Tilleard (born circa 1850, died 22 September 1913) was a British solicitor and the philatelist who helped King George V to constitute his collection, known as the Royal Philatelic Collection.

Biography

John Tilleard was a solicitor of the City of London. He spent his free times to collect stamps and study philately. He was a specialist of stamps issued by the Prince Edward Island and the British India. About the latter, he wrote "Notes on the De La Rue Series of Adhesive Postage Stamps and Telegraph Stamps of India" published in 1896. [http://www.ukphilately.org.uk/bpt/whowaswho/whowaswho-tu.htm Biographical note] in the "Who Was Who?", British Philatelic Trust, updated 9 October 2003, retrieved on 5 November 2007.]

Member of the Philatelic Society, London, he served as honorary secretary from 1894 to 1913. He permitted the participation of two philatelist princes to the Society : Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh, brother of future King Edward VII, elected honorary president in 1890, and Alfred's nephew George, Duke of York.

On the Duke of Edinburgh's initiative, Tilleard met the Duke of York on 28 February 1893. [Date from Prince George's diary, quoted in Nicholas Courtney (2004). "The Queen's Stamps", page 41.] He accepted to become George's advisor to help manage his stamp collection. Tilleard sold his own stamps to have for main philatelic purpose stamp sales and philatelic exhibitions of the Prince's collection. These activities occupied long times of the two men's life : George V's biographer, Harold Nicolson, precised that Tilleard was seen at the Duke of York's palace more often than Tanner who taught the future king law and constitutional knowledge. [Quoted in Nicholas Courtney (2004). "The Queen's Stamps", page 42.]

In 1903, Tilleard and George designed the Canada stamp series figuring King Edward VII, issued between 1903 and 1912. [Nicholas Courtney (2004). "The Queen's Stamps", pages 112 et 114.] [Stamps #77-83 in Michel catalog (2000). "Nord- und Mittelamerika", page 357.]

In 1906, he helped the Philatelic Society, London to obtain the "Royal" title, to become the Royal Philatelic Society London whose president is the Duke of York since 1896.

After the accession of the Duke as King George V in 1910, Tilleard is entitled "Philatelist to the King" with a yearly 750 pounds salary. [Nicholas Courtney (2004). "The Queen's Stamps", page 133.] The next year the King made hom a Member in the Royal Victorian Order (MVO) for his services to the King and philately. [Nicholas Courtney, The Queen's Stamps, 2004, page 122.]

In the history of the Royal Philatelic Collection, Tilleard was the one who helped George V to create the most comprehensive collection of United Kingdom and Commonwealth stamps in the world. However, at the time of his death, the mounting was to be done; the task was the main success of Tilleard's successor Edward Denny Bacon.

In souvenir of Tilleard, the Royal Philatelic Society London created the Tilleard Medal, first awarded in 1920 to one (or two, if they associated) members of the Society for the best philatelic display. [ [http://www.rpsl.org.uk/about.html Presentation of the Royal Philatelic Society London's activities] .]

Sources and references

* Nicholas Courtney (2004). "The Queen's Stamps. The Authorised History of the Royal Philatelic Collection". Methuen, ISBN 0413772284.