home
| Pianoforte-makers
in England
|
BROADWOOD
12 August 1856
The premises consisted of five distinct ranges
of buildings, three stories high, running parallel with each other, and
embracing shops for every department of the manufacture. At six o'clock last
evening 420 workmen left the various shops in the establishment, and one of
the foremen inspected the whole premises after their departure, for the
purpose of ascertaining that everything was safe, and the stove fires
properly ex The contract of the water company was to have the mains charged every night at six o'clock, but at a quarter to seven the supply failed at the only one tested out of twelve contracted for. The flames spread rapidly from floor to floor, and before seven o'clock had wrapped in one burning mass the whole range in which the fire had originated. The peculiar construction of the workshops-built to obtain the best possible light, and consisting of distinct floors several hundred feet long, without a break of any kind -rendered them an easy prey to the flames, and in less than an hour the fire had obtained so terrible a mastery that very little hope existed from that time of saving any portion of the establishment.
The intense heat of the central building very
soon ignited the adjoining ranges on either side, though from 20 to 30 feet
of space separated the one from the other; and before 8 o'clock a body of
flame of almost unexampled extent rose high into the air, setting out in
bold relief the fine architectural outlines of the new Palace and the
venerable Abbey, and attracting to the bridges, and other elevated points of
view, myriads of curious spectators. The rest of the vast manufactory was totally destroyed. Nearly 1000 pianofortes, in various stages of manufacture, were utterly lost, and the value of the woods and other materials destroyed amounts to an immense sum. Two hundred instruments were rescued, and to this salvage must be added a large quantity of lime wood and ebony, which being stacked in the northern extremity of the premises escaped destruction. The tools of the workmen, in the aggregate of very great value, were destroyed. The tools of a single first-class workman may be estimated at 701." The Annual Register: World Events .... 08/1856, p. 153-154
Fire at Broadwood and Sons.
Everybody without exception appears sorry for it, just as if everybody felt something like a personal interest in the welfare of those great and enterprising factors. Under these circumstances we are glad to be able to assure our readers that the loss sustained by the Messrs. Broadwood, although very serious, will not impede in the slightest degree the business of the establishment. Of course it must take some time to build up again; but meanwhile there is such an enormous quantity of finished stock in the various warehouses belonging to the firm, that supply will be as ready to demand as if no fire had happened at all. Luckily, too, Messrs. Broadwood did not keep all their seasoned wood iu one locality; and they have in hand even a larger collection of this valuable material than that which was consumed by the flames. Thus it may be perceived that, terrible as was the calamity, it can only be the means, thanks to the extraordinary resources of the house, of temporarily arresting the process of manufacture in the workshops of Horseferry-road. The western range of shops, which was preserved uninjured, is so full of instruments, finished and in progress, whole or in separate parts, and so crammed with stacks of wood of all descriptions, that for the present it can only be used as a depot — there being positively no room for the men. For a time, then, the chief sufferers must be the workmen — who have lost their tools, and who, if they could obtain employment elsewhere than at Messrs. Broadwood's in the interval, would still be unable to avail themselves of their good fortune for want of those indispensable implements, which are never supplied by masters, but are, as it were, the entire stock in trade of the artisans. Their case, then, is worthy of all commiseration, and we are glad to find that sympathy has been very generally excited in their favour. We hinted in our, last at a public subscription; and since then a subscription has been definitively set on foot, under the auspices of the men themselves, who have formed into a committee, with two of the ablest and most intelligent of their body (Messrs. Hipkins and Trail) as chairman and secretary. Further particulars may be learned from our advertising columns, where our readers will see with pleasure, though hardly with surprise, that the Messrs. Broadwood, notwith standing their own heavy loss, have intimated their intention to head the subscription by a liberal contribution. But this is only of a piece with the munificence for which the house of Broadwood has been notorious in the three generations which have successively conducted its affairs, and risen with its greatness and prosperity. [...]" The Musical World, 23/08/1856, p. 536
The case is a hard one, since the poor fellows are not merely deprived of their working implements, but should those be replaced must necessarily want employment until the factory of the Messrs. Broadwood is rebuilt, since in the one range of buildings remaining there is not room enough for the valuable materials that have been saved from the flames, much less for mechanics and carpenters. Well-wishers to the Messrs. Broadwood will be glad to learn that the fire which has laid the greater part of their workshops in ruins will not interfere with the business of the firm, even for a day, owing to the immense quantity of stock on hand. — Times." The Musical World, 23/08/1856, p. 537
They take this opportunity of acquainting their friends that their large stock of Finished Instruments enables tbem to continue to execute orders with accustomed promptitude. In reliance on the continuance of the kind patronage they have so long enjoyed, John Broadwood and Sons are taking measures for reorganising their Manufactory on the most approved footing. FIRE at. Messrs. JOHN BROADWOOD and SONS, Pianoforte Manufactory, Ilorseferry-road, Westminster. — The nobility, gently, aud those friends who have so promptly expressed their generous sympathy towards the sufferers by the above calamity, are respectfully informed that the London and Westminster Bank, at its several branches in Loudon, and the principal music-sellers in tho United Kintrdom, have kindly consented to receive INSCRIPTIONS on behalf of the WORKMEN who lost their tools.
The Messrs. Broadwood,
notwithstanding their heavy loss, have already signified their intention of
contributiug liberally.
— The nobility, gentry, aud
those friends who have bo promptly expressed their generous sympathy towards
the sufferers by the above calamity, are respectfully informed that the
London and Westminster Bank, at its several branches in London, and the
principal music-sellers in the United Kingdom, have kindly consented to
receive SUBSCRIPTIONS on behalf of the WORKMEN who lost their tools. [...][...]" The Musical World, 30/08/1856, p. 559
Instruments, in all stages of preparation, to the number of nearly two thousand, occupied different compartments of the buildings. Heaps of costly and rare zebra, rose, and mahogany woods, which had been seasoning for many years, were entirely consumed; together with the machinery, and the tools of the poor workmen-little fortunes in themselves were involved in the common ruin. The total loss cannot fall short of a hundred thousand pounds." The Musical Times and Singing-class Circular, Volume 7, 01/09/1856, p. 301
1883
He took much interest in the wellfare of his work-people, and as soon as the factory had been re-erected turned his attention to their library, which had been burnt down. It had been founded in 1847, its nucleus being eighty volumes, granted by a society of which Lord Brougham and the Earls of Shaftesbury and Roden were active members. [...][...]" Music: A Monthly Magazine Devoted to the Art, Science, Technic and ..., Volume 4, 09/1883, p. 523
BROADWOOD
Click on the links above.
For more information and references see page
| |
The
Fire at Broadwood's pianoforte Manufactury, as seen from Vauxhall Bridge
