Humphrey & Co Ltd., Piano Manufacturers

[RosemarySeton]

Has anyone come across a firm called J. Humphrey & Co Ltd, Leeds Place, (off Tollington Park), London N4?

The firm was operating in the early part of the 20th century and has left behind a fine three-storey building, now housing a Refugee Therapy Centre. I should be most grateful if anyone can throw any light on its history.

[Bill Kibby]

Do you have a photo that you could post here? Here are some directory listings from pianohistory.info...
1892 Not listed as piano makers in my Post Office London Directory. The Street Directory does not mention Leeds Place because it is too far out of London, so Tollington Park would have been in a separate directory for Holloway.
1894 Not listed in Kelly's Directory.
1899 Not listed in Kelly's Directory.
1911 Kelly's Directory lists Humphrey & Co.Ltd. among the Pianoforte Makers & Warehouses, at Leeds Place.
1914 My Music Trades Directory lists Humphrey & Co. (Lim.), Offices and factory : Fitzroy Road, N.W. - Piano makers. Telegraph address, Hopkinson, London. And Welbeck House, 52 Wigmore Street 1334 Paddington.
1922 J. Humphrey & Co. Ltd. were listed among the Guarantors for research work at the Northern Polytechnic.
1928 My Musique Adresses Universel does not list this particular Humphrey.
1938 My Music Trades Directory lists Humphrey & Co. (Lim.) Leeds Place, Finsbury Park, N.4. - Piano makers.
1938 Ritzmar piano #62,569 was perhaps made by Humphrey?
1951 My Directory of the British Music Industries shows the old name of Burling & Mansfield being used by J. Humphrey & Co. Ltd at Leeds Place for reconditioned pianos. This suggests that they were only reconditioning pianos then, rather than making them.

[RosemarySeton]

Many thanks for this info. I am attaching a photo.

[HughFl]

Humphrey's is in the Kelly's edition for Hornsey, Finsbury Park etc. I've only checked 1910 and 1922 and it's in both of those in Leeds Place. But there are other buildings and other firms were listed. Are you sure that Humphrey's was in this particular building? (But I must say, it looks like more the sort of building that would have been for a pianoforte manufacturer that a maker of ladies underwear!)

1910 Kelly's.png (206.94 KiB) Viewed 4115 times