Lewis and Company was a firm of

organ Organ and organs may refer to: Biology * Organ (biology), a group of tissues organized to serve a common function * Organ system, a collection of organs that function together to carry out specific functions within the body. Musical instruments ...

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 The bishop of London is the Ordinary (church officer), ordinary of the Church of England's Diocese of London in the Province of Canterbury. By custom the Bishop is also Dean of the Chapel Royal since 1723. The diocese covers of 17 boroughs o ...

. Although trained as an

architect An architect is a person who plans, designs, and oversees the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to provide services in connection with the design of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the buildings that h ...

, 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 Brixton is an area of South London, part of the London Borough of Lambeth, England. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London. Brixton experienced a rapid rise in population during the 19th century ...

. Under Lewis's direction, the firm built instruments ranging from small chamber organs to major

cathedral A cathedral is a church (building), church that contains the of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, Annual conferences within Methodism, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually s ...

and concert organs. Lewis was strongly inspired by the organs built in Germany by Edmund Schulze and in France by

Aristide Cavaillé-Coll Aristide Cavaillé-Coll (; 4 February 1811 – 13 October 1899) was a French organ builder. He has the reputation of being the most distinguished organ builder of the 19th century. He pioneered innovations in the art and science of organ build ...

. He was renowned for instruments that had a bright, vibrant

tone Tone may refer to: Visual arts and color-related * Tone (color theory), a mix of tint and shade, in painting and color theory * Tone (color), the lightness or brightness (as well as darkness) of a color * Toning (coin), color change in coins * ...

. 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 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 ...

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, George Henry Adams (1843–1932), working for them, who worked on many of the Lewis organs, called. He had previously worked for around 20 years 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 persuade a good number of Lewis staff, including his foreman, George Adams to defect to them. In 1886 George Adams established Adams & Marshall and by 1888 he was head of his own company, Adams & Son, which also worked out of Brixton. One surviving Adams & Son organ can be found in

East Farleigh East Farleigh is a village and civil parish in the local government district of Maidstone, Kent, England. The village is located on the south side of the River Medway about two miles (3.2 km) upstream from the town of Maidstone. Heritage Th ...

Church, in Kent. The instrument has a preservation order on it.

Notable Lewis organs

* Old St. Paul's, Wellington, New Zealand, 1877 *

Ripon Cathedral The Cathedral Church of St Peter and St Wilfrid, commonly known as Ripon Cathedral, and until 1836 known as Ripon Minster, is a cathedral in Ripon, North Yorkshire, England. Founded as a monastery by monks of the Irish tradition in the 660s, ...

, 1878 *

Newcastle Cathedral Newcastle Cathedral, formally the Cathedral Church of St Nicholas, is a Church of England cathedral in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear, England. It is the seat of the Bishop of Newcastle (England), Bishop of Newcastle and is the mother church ...

, 1880 * St John the Evangelist, Upper Norwood, London 1882 * St John's Presbyterian Church, Willis Street, Wellington 1886 *

St Paul's Cathedral, Melbourne St Paul's Cathedral is an Anglican cathedral in Melbourne, Australia. It is the cathedral church of the Diocese of Melbourne and the seat of the Archbishop of Melbourne, who is also the metropolitan archbishop of the Province of Victoria. ...

, Australia 1891 *

Southwark Cathedral Southwark Cathedral ( ), formally the Cathedral and Collegiate Church of St Saviour and St Mary Overie, is a Church of England cathedral in Southwark, London, near the south bank of the River Thames and close to London Bridge. It is the mother c ...

, London 1897 *

Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum is a museum and art gallery in Glasgow, Scotland, managed by Glasgow Museums. The building is located in Kelvingrove Park in the West End of the city, adjacent to Argyle Street. Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Mu ...

, Glasgow 1901 *

Church House (Presbyterian Church in Ireland) The Assembly Buildings, formerly known as Church House, in Belfast, Northern Ireland, are the headquarters of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland. It was refurbished in 1992 and also functions as a commercial conference centre. Although there was ...

, Belfast 1906 *

Westminster Cathedral Westminster Cathedral, officially the Metropolitan Cathedral of the Most Precious Blood, is the largest Catholic Church in England and Wales, Roman Catholic church in England and Wales. The shrine is dedicated to the Blood of Jesus Ch ...

, London, "Apse organ" 1910 *

All Saints Church, Maidstone All Saints is a parish church in Maidstone, Kent. It is a Grade I listed buildingand has been described as the grandest Perpendicular style church in Kent. Establishment and dissolution Founded by the Archbishop of Canterbury William Courte ...

, "Main Organ" 1880 *

St George's, Cullercoats St George's Church in Cullercoats, Tyne and Wear, England, is a church (building), church built in the 19th-century French Gothic Revival architecture, Gothic style. It is an active place of worship and is a Grade I listed building. Background ...

, Tyne and Wear 1885

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lewis and Co Companies based in the London Borough of Lambeth British companies established in 1860 Manufacturing companies established in 1860 Pipe organ building companies Organ building companies of the United Kingdom 1860 establishments in England Musical instrument manufacturing companies of the United Kingdom