Conacher and Co was a firm of British organ builders based in

Huddersfield Huddersfield is a market town in the Kirklees district in West Yorkshire, England. It is the administrative centre and largest settlement in the Kirklees district. The town is in the foothills of the Pennines. The River Holme's confluence into ...

West Yorkshire West Yorkshire is a metropolitan and ceremonial county in the Yorkshire and Humber Region of England. It is an inland and upland county having eastward-draining valleys while taking in the moors of the Pennines. West Yorkshire came into exi ...

, England.

History

The firm originated with Peter Conacher (1823–1894), who was born in Scotland and who studied as an apprentice organ builder in

Leipzig Leipzig ( , ; Upper Saxon: ) is the most populous city in the German state of Saxony. Leipzig's population of 605,407 inhabitants (1.1 million in the larger urban zone) as of 2021 places the city as Germany's eighth most populous, as wel ...

, Germany. After returning to England, he worked for Hill & Sons based in

Lincolnshire Lincolnshire (abbreviated Lincs.) is a county in the East Midlands of England, with a long coastline on the North Sea to the east. It borders Norfolk to the south-east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south-west, Leicestershire ...

, and then for Walker & Sons in London. Conacher started his own company in 1854, initially with Richard Brown, then from 1859 with Joseph Hebblethwaite. They built a factory in George Street, Huddersfield. On the death of Hebblethwaite, Peter was joined by his brother James (1820–1886). They built an organ for the Yorkshire Exhibition of 1866; the instrument was awarded a grand medal and was installed in

St Peter's Church, Huddersfield St Peter's Church, also known as Huddersfield Parish Church, is a Church of England parish church in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, England. There has been a church on the site since the 11th century, but the current building dates from 1836. It is ...

. In 1873 the company moved to the Springwood Organ Works, Water Street, Huddersfield. Peter's son, Joseph Hebblethwaite Conacher (1856–1913), joined the family firm in 1879 and succeeded his father in the business in 1898. In 1986, the firm was acquired by John Sinclair Willis, formerly of

Henry Willis & Sons Henry Willis & Sons is a British firm of pipe organ builders founded in 1845. Although most of their installations have been in the UK, examples can be found in other countries. Five generations of the Willis family served as principals of th ...

and great-grandson of the notable English organ builder "Father"

Henry Willis Henry Willis (27 April 1821 – 11 February 1901), also known as "Father" Willis, was an English organ player and builder, who is regarded as the foremost organ builder of the Victorian era. His company Henry Willis & Sons remains in busin ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Conacher British pipe organ builders Organ builders of the United Kingdom Companies established in 1854 Musical instrument manufacturing companies of the United Kingdom Companies based in Huddersfield 1854 establishments in the United Kingdom