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

Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands (county), West Midlands, within the wider West Midlands (region), West Midlands region, in England. It is the Lis ...

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, in the county of the West Midlands, England. Historically in Worcestershire, it was also a Birmingham City Council ward within the borough of Birmingham. The district lie ...

, 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 39 Birmingham wards to 40. As a result of this, La ...

. 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, ...

continued the business after he died in 1883.

Works

He installed or worked on organs at the following churches: * St Alphege's Church, Solihull 1850 Alterations and extension *

St Mary's Church, Moseley St Mary's Church, Moseley is a Grade II listed parish church in the Church of England located in Moseley, Birmingham. It is now part of a united benefice with St Anne's Church, Moseley. The War Memorial in the South-East corner of the Churchyard ...

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 St Michael and All Angels Church, on Mount Dinham in Exeter is an Anglican church in Devon, England. It is a Grade I listed building. The church is Anglo-Catholic in tradition. The building in is the early Gothic style and was built to the desig ...

*Trinity Wesleyan Chapel, Wolverhampton 1867 New Organ * St Alphege's Church, Solihull 1868 Alterations and extension * St Philip’s Church, Birmingham 1869 Cleaning, repairs and improvements. *

Lichfield Cathedral Lichfield Cathedral, formally the Cathedral Church of Saint Mary and Saint Chad in Lichfield, is a Church of England cathedral in the city of Lichfield, England. It is the seat of the bishop of Lichfield and the principal church of the diocese ...

1881 Overhaul

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bossward, Edward James 1825 births 1883 deaths British pipe organ builders Artisans from Birmingham, West Midlands Date of birth unknown