William, probably taken in his early 40's (click to enlarge).
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William's mother Annie Elizabeth Garrett died in childbirth when he was born.
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I understand that William and Elsie didn't have children.
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I haven't yet discovered what line of work William was in, but we know he was an Engineer, and I would suspect that the patent application shown below, placed jointly between J. LYONS AND COMPANY, LIMITED and William Garret KNIBBS, maybe an indication that he worked for them, and at a fairly senior level. Lyons was involved in the production of tea (amongst many other things), and records show that in 1921, Lyons established their own tea buying organisation in India in the form of the subsidiary company, Lyons (India) Ltd. We know that William and his wife sailed to India in 1927, so perhaps it was to take up a position with them there?
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In 1925, William was living at Woodlands, Old Slade Lane, Colnbrook, Buckinghamshire, England.
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We can can see that William and his wife Elsie sailing from the port of London to Bombay, India in 1927, as identified in the following passenger list:
Name: Wm Garret KNIBBS
Date of departure: 2 September 1927
Port of departure: London
Passenger destination port: Bombay, India
Passenger destination: Bombay, India
Date of Birth: 1887 (calculated from age)
Age: 40
Marital status: Married
Sex: Male
Occupation: Engineer

The following people with the same last name travelled on this voyage: -
Mrs Elsie Isabel KNIBBS Page 4 of 16 View transcript

Ship: RANPURA
Official Number: 148119
Master's name: A M King
Steamship Line: Peninsular & Oriental Steam Navigation Co
Where bound: Bombay, India
Registered tonnage: 9278.88
Passengers on voyage: 523


P&O SS Ranpura
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In 1930, we see them sailing into Plymouth, Devonshire, England aboard the ship Simon Bolivar belonging to the Royal Netherlands Steamship Company. William and Elsie embarked at the island of Curaçao in the Dutch Antilles in the Southern Caribbean, off the Venezuelan coast. The arrivals document states that their last country of permanent residence was Venezuela.
Name of Ship: "Simon Bolivar"
Steamship Line: Royal Netherlands Steamship Company
Port of Arrival: Plymouth
Date of Arrival: July 13th 1930
Whence Arrived: Pto Limon
Port of Embarkation: Curaçao
Passenger Name: William Garrett Knibbs
Proposed UK Address: c/o L.M.Jones, Little Houghton, Northampton
Occupation of Passenger: Engineer
Age of Passenger: 43
Country of Last Permanent Residence: Venezuela

William was accompanied by his wife Elsie Isabel Knibbs, age 45

The address that William gave for his proposed UK address was that of his brother-in-law, Lionel Manfred Jones, who was married to William's sister, Annie Warburton Knibbs.


Simon Bolivar
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In November 1925, William patented an improved testing device for hermetically sealed containers.

PATENT SPECIFICATION-:

Application Date: May 25, 1925. No. 13,599/25. 2439 Complete Left: Sept, 10, 1925.

Complete Accepted: Nov. 26, 1925, PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.

An Improved Testing: Device for Hermetically Sealed Containers.

We, J. LYONS AND COMPANY, LIMITED, of Cadby Hall, Kensington, London, W. 14, a British company, and WILLIAM GARRETT KNIBBS, of Woodlands, Old Slade Lane, Colnbrook, in the County of Buckingham, a British subject, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows: This invention relates to testing devices for hermetically sealed containers such as commonly employed for housing or preserving foodstuffs and the like and has for its object to provide simple and efficient means for indicating the presence of leakage in said containers.

As is known, containers for cake, for example, are usually first of all filled with the desired contents and then soldered up prior to subsequent transport. It is obvious however that should any irregularity occur in the soldering process thereby resulting in leakage, there will be a consequent deterioration of the contents due to the inefficient sealing of the container.

The present invention consists in the provision of simple means whereby such leakage is readily observed and disastrous deterioration incidentally obviated. This is effected broadly by providing means for admitting a supply of air under slight pressure to the interior of a container, which has been sealed up in the ordinary manner, after or simultaneously with which operation the container is innmersed in water or orther suitable liquid. In-this manner the presence of any Ieakage will at once be apparent owing to continuous formation in the liquid of bubbles issuing from the source of leakage. Means are also provided for convenient withdrawal of the container from the liquid to permit of final resealing off and rectification. According to one embodiment. of the invention we provide a tank containing water, in which is positioned a vertical member having a suitable bracket at its lower end below the surface of the water, while the upper end of the vertical member extends above the surface of the water and is adapted to form the guideway for a clamp which may be immersed in the water or maintained exterior to the tank as desired. The clamp is provided with a regulating screw at the end of which is fitted a disc of rubber or other resilient material. The lower jaw of the clamp is also provided with a rubber or similar disc through which passes a fine needle nozzle connected by means of a suitable tube to a supply of air under pressure. At the head of the vertical member is provided a lever adapted to control an air supply valve by Bowden wire or like mechanism.

In operating the device, an attendant places an already sealed container upon the disc of the clamp provided with the needle nozzle, and by means of the regulating screw the container is rigidly held between the two jaws, at the same time causing the needle nozzle to penetrate through and form a small aperture in the bottom of the container. The clamp is then lowered on the vertical member until the container is comnpletely immersed in the water. By means of the valve operating mechanism air is supplied to the needle nozzle and enters the container and the presenee of any leakage will be readily discovered owing to the formation of bubbles in the water. The clamp and container can then be raised integrally from the water and by slackening the regulating screw the removal of the container and subsequent soldering of the small apperture formed by the needle nozzle may be readily effected. It will be seen therefore, that we have provided efficient means for testing the air tight conditions of containers by totally submerging the container in liquid, whereby provision may be made for preventing the liquid from entering or making contact with the contents of the container.

Dated this 25th day of May, 1925.

A. A. THORNTON, Chartered Patent Agent, Quality Court, Chancery Lane, London, W.C. 2, For the Applicants.

Unfortunately, I don't as yet have a diagram of the device that would help to make sense of the description.
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Elsie's parents were William Tidmarsh and Martha Elizabeth Edgar. They married in Shaftsbury District, Dorset, England in q2/1879

In 1881, they were living at Gas House Lane, Gillingham, Dorset, England:
William TIDMARSH Head M Male 26 Chelsea, Middlesex Certificated Elementary Teacher
Martha E. TIDMARSH Wife M Female 28 Gillingham, Dorset Certificated Elementary Teachers Wife
Edith M. TIDMARSH Daur Female 1 Gillingham, Dorset
Mabel A. TIDMARSH Daur Female 2 m Gillingham, Dorset
Elizabeth SALSBURY Visitor U Female 73 Chelsea, Middlesex
Bessie WILLIAMS Servt U Female 17 Gillingham, Dorset General Servant Domestic
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We can see Elsie in 1891 living with her parents and siblings at 47, Johnstone Street, Birmingham:
William Tidmarsh Head Married M 36 Government Certificated Teacher School London Middlesex
Martha Tidmarsh Wife Married F 37 Gillingham Dorsetshire
Mabel Tidmarsh Daughter Single F 10 Scholar Gillingham Dorsetshire
Dora Kate Tidmarsh Daughter Single F 8 Scholar Gillingham Dorsetshire
Elsie Tidmarsh Daughter Single F 6 Scholar Birmingham
John Tidmarsh Son Single M 3 Birmingham
Evelyn Tidmarsh Daughter Single F 1 Birmingham
Emily Belsham Servant Single F 15 General Servant Bromsberrow Herefordshire
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In 1901, Elsie's the family was living at 87 Gillott Rd., Birmingham:
William Tidmarsh Head M 46 Certified Schoolmaster Middlesex London
Martha E Tidmarsh Wife M 48 Dorset Gillingham
Mabel A Tidmarsh Daur S 20 Teacher Assistant Dorset Gillingham
Dora K E Tidmarsh Daur S 18 Pupil Teacher Dorset Gillingham
Elsie I Tidmarsh Daur S 16 Pupil Teacher Birmingham
Evelyn G Tidmarsh Daur 11 Birmingham
Marjorie M C Tidmarsh Daur 7 Birmingham
Nellie L B Down Visitor S 17 Pulip Teacher Dorset Gillingham
Charlotte Forrester Servant 14 General Servant Domestic Birmingham

Elsie's sister Edith died in Birmingham during q3/1889, aged just 9 years.
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And then in 1911, Elsie was still living with her parents at 15 Holly Road, Edgbaston, Birmingham, Warwickshire:
William Tidmarsh Head Married M 56 Certified Schoolmaster Head London Chelsea
Martha Elizabeth Tidmarsh Wife Married (31 years) F 57 Dorset Gillingham
Elsie Isabel Tidmarsh Single F 26 Certificated Teacher BA Bham Assistant Birmingham
Marjorie E M Tidmarsh Single F 17 School Birmingham
Sarah Jane Strong Servant Single F 16 General Servant Domestic Dorst Gillingham
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From the ship's passenger list when she and William travelled to Bombay, India:
Name: Mrs Elsie Isabel KNIBBS
Date of departure: 2 September 1927
Port of departure: London
Passenger destination port: Bombay, India
Passenger destination: Bombay, India
Date of Birth: 1887 (calculated from age)
Age: 40
Marital status: Married
Sex: Female