High Wycombe Chair makers

[Historycat]

A friend of mine has the Neighbour and Quartermain families of High Wycombe in her tree who are chair makers.  Is there anywhere we can look to find out about the companies who were there?  It is believed in her family that Ercol took over the family business, is there anyway of confirming or disproving this?

[Little Nell]

This might be useful:

http://www.ercol.com/about/ercol-timeline/timeline/

One date in it is 1932 when they took over Walter Skulls Ltd who were chairmakers.

Nell

[IMBER]

I had a look in "The English Regional Chair" by Bernard Cotton. Can't see any Neighbours but Quarterman (not Quartermain) name is mentioned, very briefly, as High Wycombe chair makers. Perhaps contact the Museum at High Wycombe who may point you in the right direction?

Imber

[artifis]

Wycombe District Council have a good site on this topic at www.wycombe.gov.uk/council-services/leisure-and-culture/local-history/furniture-making-in-high-wycombe.aspx

You can download a file titled 'Furniture manufacturers in High Wycombe' which should be of help.

My ancestors worked in the furniture making trade both in Wycombe/High Wycombe and nearby Radnage Common and I found this site very useful.

My paternal grandmother and two of her female cousins were reputed to have inherited a 'furniture factory' at Wycombe in the late 1800s/early 1900s but were diddled out of it by a male cousin.  I've never been able to verify that so far, an item on my to do list but it will be a lot of work as all her relatives had large families.

I have Quartermain ancestors living in/near Hambledon and Frieth and I suspect that descendants of theirs were involved in the chair making trade at Wycombe as one family finished up in the Henley workhouse at one time and at least one son seems to have stayed in the Wycombe area but it's still on my to do list to check as he's not a direct ancestor, rather the brother of one who is.

Hope the link is useful.

[Historycat]

Thanks for all of this I have passed it all on to my friend.