Burling and Mansfield

[kaw]

Hello

Please can anybody tell me about my Burling and Mansfield Piano (Euston Road). For example- when it may have been made- history of makers- what is it made of... It has been sitting in the corner of my dining room for five years and need to decide if I keep it and learn to play it properly or let it go- so any information that may endear me to it and help me decide will be grateful. I would rather keep it to be honest so any anecdotes will help!!

Thank very much

[Bill Kibby]

The namew was used for a very long time, from at least the 1880s to the 1950s, so a name on its own doesn't give any clues to date. Have a look at the Datemarks page at www.pianogen.org

[elbu]

Burling was probably George Samuel Burling, born 1819 at St Lukes, London, and already a Pianoforte Maker in 1841. George's brother Edward Thomas Burling was a piano maker too, but seemed to specialise in the carpentry aspects of the trade. George's sons, Edward George and John were also piano makers.
Henry Mansfield was born in Wolverhampton in 1844, son of an Iron Moulder. He came to London between 1861 and 1871 with his brother George, described in the 1871 census as a vocalist (he had been a Printer Compositer in 1861 but obviously decided a change of career was needed!)
Burling & Mansfield were appearing in directories in 1882 with an address at 228 Tottenham Court Road. By 1884 they had a second address at 381 Euston Road.
I'm afraid Burling and Mansfield fell out, and were involved in litigation against each other when Henry Mansfield died in 1908.
George Samuel Burling died aged 90 in 1910.

[Bill Kibby]

That must have been when Fox took over.

[elbu]

I have not heard of Fox before.
Do you know what the name of the new company was or what Fox's full name was?

[Bill Kibby]

According to their centenary booklet...

1915 - Chas. Fox's piano manufacturing was started in a big way when the well-known firm of Burling & Mansfield was acquired, at Market Road, London N7.

[elbu]

Thanks!

[ChristineGoddard]

I have a Burling and Mansfield upright piano and at the back is a mark of Chas.J.Fox London Leeds and Johannesburg. Would it be correct for me to say that it was then made approximately in 1915?

[Bill Kibby]

According to Fox's centenary booklet, they took over Burling & Mansfield's name in 1915, so the piano could have been made later. I don't know what sort of information you are hoping for, no archive material is available for this company, but have a look at
http://www.pianohistory.info/edwardian.html
for general information and clues for the period. If you are able to post photos here, or email them to me to post, I may be able to tell you more, but they must show what the WHOLE piano looks like, unobscured by dogs, stools, vases etc.. Otherwise, if you look inside the top for numbers, these may give us a rough idea how old it is.