Some people leave behind wealth.
Others leave behind something far more valuable.
A legacy of kindness.
Agatha Fitch was born in England in 1907, the youngest of sixteen children. By the time she 7 both of her parents had passed away. Her father died 28th July 1914 - the day World War 1 commenced. Too young to care for herself and too young to understand why life had changed so suddenly, Agatha was raised by her older brothers and sisters.
Life was not easy.
Her family lived with very little, and Agatha often moved from one sibling’s home to another depending on who could best afford an extra mouth to feed or who needed help caring for their own children. The age gap between Agatha and her oldest siblings was so great that some of her nieces and nephews were older than she was. She wore hand-me-down clothes, shared crowded homes, and learned from an early age that survival depended upon the kindness of others.
At just twelve years old, Agatha was sent into service as a maid for a local landowner. She worked long days, seven days a week, caring for a household that was not her own.
Yet it was there that she discovered something that would stay with her for the rest of her life.
Roses.
Growing up in poverty, Agatha had never known the luxury of a garden. She would admire the roses that bloomed around the estate and was sometimes entrusted to cut them for arrangements when guests visited the house. Their beauty and fragrance became a small source of joy in an otherwise difficult childhood.
Years later, Agatha married Jack.
Jack was not a wealthy man, but he gave her something she treasured more than money: freedom. Once they married, Agatha never again worked as a maid. Instead, she devoted her life to helping others.
She cooked meals for elderly neighbours.
She cleaned homes for those no longer able.
She collected groceries and ran errands for people who had no one else to help them.
She never forgot what it felt like to be vulnerable, dependent, and alone.
In their own garden, Jack grew roses for her.
Every season, Agatha carefully gathered the petals and transformed them into potpourri and handmade soaps, which she gifted to family, friends, neighbours and those she cared for. The roses that had once represented a world beyond her reach became symbols of generosity, compassion and home.
Remarkably, Agatha retained beautiful skin well into later life, something family members often attributed to her simple ritual of cleansing with the rose soaps she lovingly made herself.
Agatha’s story might have been lost to time were it not for the generations she inspired.
She was the great-grandmother of Jak, the artisan behind this cleansing bar.
Although Jak never had the chance to meet her, he grew up hearing stories about her kindness, resilience and quiet generosity. Inspired by the woman who spent her life caring for others, he created this rose cleansing bar in her honour.
Today, each Agatha Fitch Rose & Ylang Ylang Cleansing Bar carries a small piece of Agatha’s story.
And every year, Jak donates soap to organisations supporting people experiencing homelessness, a tribute to a great-grandmother he never met, but whose example continues to shape the way he lives and works.
Because true kindness never really disappears.
It simply finds new hands to carry it forward.
About Jacques Farnworth-Wood, Co-Founder & Formulator
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Jacques Farnworth-Wood is the co-founder of Valor Organics and plays a hands-on role in the sourcing, formulation, and sustainability standards behind the brand. With a focus on ethical ingredients, local manufacturing, and cruelty-free, vegan values, Jacques helps ensure products like Agatha Fitch are created with both performance and responsibility in mind. Working alongside Deb Farnworth-Wood, Jacques brings a practical, transparent approach to skincare and grooming, helping develop formulas that support effective results without relying on harsh synthetics. |
