Lewis & Co

Lewis and Company was an important firm of organ builders founded by Thomas Christopher Lewis (1833-1915), one of the leading organ builders of late 19th Century Britain.

Born in London in 1833, the son of Thomas Archdeacon Lewis (1780-1862), a secretary to Charles Blomfield, Bishop of London. Although trained as an architect, Lewis founded a firm of organ builders with John Tunstall and John Whitacker in about 1860. In 1866, the firm moved into premises in Shepherds Lane (now Ferndale Road), Brixton. Under Lewis's direction, the firm built instruments ranging from small chamber organs to major cathedral and concert organs. Lewis was strongly inspired by the organs built in Germany by Edmund Schulze and in France by Aristide Cavaillé-Coll. He was renowned for instruments that had a bright, vibrant tone. Lewis left the firm before 1900, but it continued to maintain the standards set by its founder. In 1919, there was a merger with Henry Willis & Sons who moved into the Brixton works and traded as Henry Willis and Son and Lewis and Company Ltd until 1925 when the Lewis name was dropped. T. C. Lewis continued to build organs for some time after leaving the firm that he had founded.

Pre 1886 Lewis & Co had a well respected foreman working for them, who worked on many of the lewis organs,called George Henry Adams (1843 - 1932). George had previously worked for around 20yrs with j w walker. A man called Thynne was dismissed (most likely) from Lewis's in 1881 and when he and Michell set up their short-lived company they managed to pinch a good number of Lewis staff including his foreman George Adams. George in 1886 established Adams & Marshall and by 1888 he was head of his own company Adams & Son who also work out of Brixton. one of Adams & son surviving organ can be found in east Farleigh church Kent which has a preservation order on it. [advertising pamphlet which is located in Kent archives and a copy held by direct descendent gives details of him having worked with lewis] http://www.npor.org.uk/NPORView.html?DBOB

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