Bansall and Sons London

[SteveS]

I saw that you were able to give an approximate date for a Bansall on this site, although I understand from what you say that the exact dates against numbers are not listed. I have one too, the number inside the top is F5367 and it has been in my family for 46 years. We acquired it when living in Enfield. It is quite ornate and has a floral pattern on it, like another person's on this site. It has Bansall and Sons London on the inside of the lid and at some point a plate was added "Firth Brothers Edmonton" which I assume was the retailer. Could you give the approximate date it was made please? Thank you.

[Bill Kibby]

This is not a Bansall serial number, it is Firth's stock number, which only tells us that it was sold after 1937, but we don't know if it was new or secondhand then. By 1938, their serial numbers were around 125,000. Have a look at my Datemarks page at www.PianoGen.org

[SteveS]

Thanks for your very quick reply. There is indeed another number at the opposite (left) end, which I had never spotted before. It is 24267. The two lowest keys, which I think are bone faced, are emobossed with the number 7590. I don't know whether there is any significance in that.

[Bill Kibby]

That number suggests a date around 1896.

[SteveS]

That's interesting, earlier than we had thought. As it was in the Victorian period it might explain the elaborate decoration. I can imagine that as the piano worked its way up to North London, the areas such as Tottenham, Edmonton and Ponders End could have been non-joined up settlements in those days, possibly with a few fields between! Thanks again for your help. To coin an expression, if only the piano could talk....

[nickydee]

Hi,
Do you still have the Firth Bros piano?

[SteveS]

Yes, it is a Bansall Piano sold by Firth Brothers.