Edward James Bossward (1825 – 18 September 1883) was an English organ builder based in

Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands in England. It is the second-largest city in the United Kingdom with a population of 1.145 million in the city proper, 2.92 million in the West ...

Life

He was born in Hayes in 1825 and baptised on 22 May 1825, the son of Thomas Bossward and Jane Collinridge. He married Eliza Gisborne in 1848 in

King’s Norton Kings Norton, alternatively King's Norton, is an area of Birmingham, England. Historically in Worcestershire, it was also a Birmingham City Council ward within the Government of Birmingham, England. The district lies 6.5 miles south-southwes ...

, and they had ten children. He trained as an organ builder with J.C. Bishop and then worked for William Hill. He came to Birmingham with Hill to work on the organ in

Birmingham Town Hall Birmingham Town Hall is a concert hall and venue for popular assemblies opened in 1834 and situated in Victoria Square, Birmingham, England. It is a Grade I listed building. The hall underwent a major renovation between 2002 and 2007. It no ...

, and to care for it after completion. In 1847 he set up business on his own, first at 30 Oliver Road, and later at 80 Alston Street,

Ladywood Ladywood is an inner-city district next to central Birmingham. Historically in Warwickshire, in June 2004, Birmingham City Council conducted a citywide "Ward Boundary Revision" to round-up the thirty-nine Birmingham wards to forty. As a result o ...

. In 1869 he was declared bankrupt. One of his pupils

Walter James Bird Walter James Bird (10 January 1863 – 9 December 1953) was an organ builder based in Birmingham, England. Life He was born in Birmingham on 10 January 1863, the son of Thomas and Sarah Bird and christened on 1 February in St. Thomas' Church, B ...

continued the business after he died in 1883.

Works

He installed or worked on organs at the following churches: *

St Alphege's Church, Solihull St Alphege Church, Solihull, is a medieval parish church in the Church of England in Solihull, West Midlands. History The church is medieval, dating from the 13th century. The previous spire was 59m and collapsed in 1757: the current spire is 57 ...

1850 Alterations and extension * St Mary's Church, Moseley 1853. New Organ. *

All Saints Church, Allesley All Saints Church is a mediaeval church in the suburban village of Allesley adjoining the City of Coventry, in the West Midlands of England. The building is grade I listed, though churches in ecclesiastical use are exempt from listed building pr ...

. 1863 * St Jude's Church, Birmingham 1867 New Organ now in St Michael and All Angels Church, Exeter *Trinity Wesleyan Chapel, Wolverhampton 1867 New Organ *

1868 Alterations and extension * St Philip’s Church, Birmingham 1869 Cleaning, repairs and improvements. *

Lichfield Cathedral Lichfield Cathedral is an Anglican cathedral in Lichfield, Staffordshire, England, one of only three cathedrals in the United Kingdom with three spires (together with Truro Cathedral and St Mary's Cathedral in Edinburgh), and the only medie ...

1881 Overhaul

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bossward, Edward James 1825 births 1883 deaths Organ builders of the United Kingdom People from Birmingham, West Midlands Date of birth unknown