The Brinsmeads

(Facts as known or reconstructed in 1972 and revised in 1976)

This is a transcription of a three page history prepared by William Latey Q.C. and Sir John Latey provided by Maurice Latey and Sir John Latey to Andy Sims in about 1980

The Brinsmeads came originally from the village of St.-Giles-in-the-Wood near Torrington in N. Devon. There are at present no woods at St. Giles, and apparently no more Brinsmeads there (or indeed in N. Devon as a whole, as far as can be ascertained from directories), but there are a great many Brinsmead gravestones in the churchyard, the latest being the imposing table-tomb of Thomas and Emily Brinsmead (died respectively 1884 and '83 at the age of 79). This Thomas seems to have been somewhat too young to be the well-known inventor of agricultural machinery who is recorded as having been John's uncle.

Timber from the Torrington area (including presumably the vanished woods of St. Giles) used to be shipped down the river Torridge and the adjacent canal to Bideford. It was perhaps in this way that Henry Brinsmead (b. 1773) came to Weare Gifford which was then a river port about half way between Torrington and Bideford. He was the son of Thomas Brinsmead, yeoman, who died at St. Giles in 1823 at the age of 83 and Susannah who died five years later at Weare Gifford where her gravestone records:

'After a careful and industrious life, Here lies a tender mother And indulgent wife. She lived to die, in Christ she put her trust, Hoping to rise in glory with the just'.

Their son married Elizabeth Beer (b. 1780), the daughter of a blacksmith in Weare Gifford, known sometimes as Ginger Beers, on account of their colouring. He set up as an innkeeper and victualler.(*) There were at that time three inns in the village overlooking the quays which were then operating on the tidal river, though the inns were later all closed down in the 1840's on account of salmon poaching on the river. They included the Black Swan which was also the old Post Office and the Fortescue Arms which is now a very pleasant guest-house named Hill Side with an imposing oak-beamed arch which must have been the bar. If the latter was the Brinsmead residence it could well have accommodated the ten children - five boys and five girls - born to them between 1804 and 1823.

John Brinsmead, born 31/10/1814, was sixth in the family (his older brothers were Thomas, a carpenter who died in 1834 at the age of 29, William a tailor, Henry - occupation unrecorded but presumably the elder brother whom John later joined when he went up to London to work on pianos and his younger brother George a sailor of Bideford.

Henry Brinsmead senior was later described as a coal merchant - Weare Gifford was at that time a river port - and lime-burner who possessed lime kilns in the area and there are indeed some impressive ruined lime-kilns down by the river at Weare Gifford. John was intended to be a farmer and told his granddaughter that he was given his own sheep to look after when he was very young. However, after a year he gave it up to become apprenticed to a cabinet maker in Torrington. There, working for six or seven years from six o'clock in the morning to seven o'clock at night, he became a skilled craftsman. His uncle and cousins were much interested in musical instruments and he resolved to set up in business as a pianoforte manufacturer. With this in view at the age of 21 he went to London (walking with his basket of tools on his back according to the legend, but apparently in fact going by steamer) and joined his brother Henry in a pianoforte factory, Henry first working on the action and John on the cabinet making.

In 1837, the same year as he married Miss Susan Brown, daughter of an officer in the 92nd Highlanders, he set up his own business, at first in Windmill Street, Tottenham Court road, then in Grafton Road, Kentish town, and, later opened a showroom in Wigmore Street which was twice rebuilt and now stands on the corner of Cavendish Square, occupied by the firm of Bimmer.

John Brinsmead lived and raised his family in Charlotte Street and in later life moved to 16 Albert Road (now Prince Albert Road) from which he continued to attend the Wigmore Street showrooms until well into his nineties.

(*) Chris Willis suggests that the records show that Elizabeth Beer was in fact the licensee well before the marriage. 

NOTES ON THE BRINSMEADS BY WILLIAM LATEY Q.C.

John's elder brother Henry had been in London some time engaged on piano work. Partnership formed: Henry interior, John case work, partnership dissolved in 1837.

Thomas Brinsmead, son of John, taken into partnership by his father when he was 26, and Edgar later. Then on December 30th, 1899 converted into a Limited liability Co. as J. Brinsmead and Sons Ltd.

Henry continued his business and neither had a sole right to the name; in fact a speciality was always made of John.

Horace G. Brinsmead went to sea on leaving school, but at their request left the merchant service and joined his father's and brother's business learning the work in every department thoroughly and practically at the bench. In 1876 he represented the firm at the Philadelphia Centennial Exhibition, this being the first occasion on which the firm obtained a first award at an international exhibition. On his return he introduced American ideas into the manufacture of pianos and up-to-date methods of advertising. He suggested to his brother Edgar to advertise under the name of Brinsmead, which was begun in 1877. In 1879 he went to Australia to represent the firm at the Sydney International and obtained highest awards for the firm, ditto 1880-81 at Melbourne International, ditto Christchurch International. He opened up such a vast business that not even after opening a new factory could the firm fulfil the orders. He doubled the business and when he returned to England he was taken into partnership. He preferred life in the Colonies however and he resigned the partnership, keeping the sole right of the Colonial business.

He went planting for a time, but returned to England and found that in the interim the firm had lost nearly all the business in the Colonies. He agreed to take it up again and went out afresh.

In 1898 with wife and family he took a trip to England, and at his father's request agreed to enter into partnership again and take a third of the business, his two brothers taking the remainder, while the father retired. Prior to settling down however he made a tour of the Colonies to fix up agents, etc., and while he was away other arrangements were made, no agreement having been signed.

When he returned he found his brother Tom had left the business, which was to be turned into a limited liability company. Under persuasion he became managing director but found it impossible to work with the new people introduced into the concern and resigned, starting business for himself.