W. Birch and Co
of High Wycombe
The firm of William Birch appears in trade directories in 1853 in the Newland area of High Wycombe, then a fast-developing district of industry and working-class housing. However, family tradition related that he began chairmaking in the 1840s. In 1883 William son Walter Birch started his own chairmaking business in Castle Street, after beginning some years before at the back of The Woolpack pub in Oxford Road. He was followed by his brother Charles whose furniture factory in Queen’s Road appeared by 1888 and carried on in business until World War One. Walter took over his father’s firm by 1895 when it appears as ‘Birch and Company’ with premises in Denmark Street. The Denmark Street factory was rebuilt according to the latest modern specifications as a three-storey, all-brick building in about 1898, as opposed to the older style factories which had a brick ground floor and a wooden upper storey. It was supposed to lessen the risk of fire but itself burned down very soon after being built. The firm maintained offices in Euston Road for many years until it became clear that most of the London buyers were coming to Wycombe to do business. Birch’s opened a second site in Wycombe at Leigh Street, where the whole business was concentrated between 1931 and 1935. The firm seems to have been among the first to branch out into general furniture making in addition to chairs alone, around the turn of the century. It pioneered the development of Arts and Crafts influenced furniture locally, and employed well-known designers such as EG Punnett, George Walton (who worked with Mackintosh) and Whitehead. Employed 350 in 1938. Made range called ‘Birchcraft’ circa 1950s.Birch’s was taken over by Gomme’s 1954
1954 Acquired by E. Gomme
See Also
Sources of Information
- Furniture Makers of High Wycombe [1]