Henry Bessell

1870 - 1925

Henry Bessell's business as a Chair and Sofa Manufacturer in Bristol was probably started in the early 1870's. By 1880 he had opened workshops at Avonmouth named the Western Cabinet Works and was perhaps inspired by his competitor Uriah Alsop's successful Steam Cabinet Works in the centre of the city. Alsop used machinery to reduce labour time, enabling him to offer a large stock of furniture at reasonable prices. We know of two pieces of furniture, both folding tables, that have Bessell's label. Both give the Patent No. of 10415 and probably refers to the method of folding the legs or securing them in position. The lack of information on other pieces of Bessell's furniture suggests that he only marked patent pieces that he retailed. Given that he had two premises in Bristol, one of which from its title and location suggests that it was set up to produce large quantities of furniture to ship, this is surprising but may indicate that a large part of his business was wholesale, with the retailer's not wanting someone else's name marked. In the past we have sold an almost identical table except that it was made of North American Birch and had no label. The lack of labelled Bessell furniture and the reasons why is of course, guesswork and the discovery of a catalogue would shed more light on the range and nature of Bessell's business.

Henry Bessell was born in either 1842 or 1843, the youngest of 7, to Charles and Mary ... show more

Henry Bessell's business as a Chair and Sofa Manufacturer in Bristol was probably started in the early 1870's. By 1880 he had opened workshops at Avonmouth named the Western Cabinet Works and was perhaps inspired by his competitor Uriah Alsop's successful Steam Cabinet Works in the centre of the city. Alsop used machinery to reduce labour time, enabling him to offer a large stock of furniture at reasonable prices. We know of two pieces of furniture, both folding tables, that have Bessell's label. Both give the Patent No. of 10415 and probably refers to the method of folding the legs or securing them in position. The lack of information on other pieces of Bessell's furniture suggests that he only marked patent pieces that he retailed. Given that he had two premises in Bristol, one of which from its title and location suggests that it was set up to produce large quantities of furniture to ship, this is surprising but may indicate that a large part of his business was wholesale, with the retailer's not wanting someone else's name marked. In the past we have sold an almost identical table except that it was made of North American Birch and had no label. The lack of labelled Bessell furniture and the reasons why is of course, guesswork and the discovery of a catalogue would shed more light on the range and nature of Bessell's business.

Henry Bessell was born in either 1842 or 1843, the youngest of 7, to Charles and Mary

Bessell of 2 Castle Street, Bristol. Charles, born in 1799, was a Wollen Draper. Henry looks to have initially followed in his father's profession as he is listed as a Woollen Merchant at Ellbrood Street, St. Phillip & Jacob Within, Bristol in the 1871 census. The previous year he had married Annie Pullin in Kingswood-hill, Bristol.

An advert of the 13th of November 1873 in the Western Daily Press notes Henry as a Chair & Sofa Manufacturer at Captain Carey's Lane, Old Market. Captain Carey's Lane no longer exists but it was close to Bessell's residence at Ellbrood Street in central Bristol. In December of the same year, he was granted a patent with John Allright Wheeler of Westwood, Wiltshire, a flock manufacturer, for a paillasses. We have come across a number of campaign furniture makers, and it is probably true of domestic furniture makers as well, who started as drapers or textile merchants and evolved to become cabinet makers. The fact that Bessell and Wheeler had a patent for an under mattress and Henry's business is occasionally also listed as upholsters and mattress makers ties in with his development from Woollen Merchant to Cabinet Maker.

Kelly's Directory of 1877 gives Bessell's address of 5 Old King Street, Bristol which is also close to his residence at Ellbrood Street. By 1880 Henry Bessell added the Western Cabinet Works, Meadow Street, Bristol to his business addresses. The Avonmouth docks were opened in 1877, developing the area from a village to an important transport hub for the nearby city. Bessell was very astute in moving his manufacturing base to Meadow Street. It gave him a gateway to the rest of the country (and the world) as well as allowing him to easily move his wares on the river Avon between Old King Street in the city centre and his workshops. Between 1873 and 1880, Bessell had moved home to Brighton Villa, North Road, St. Andrews, which was north of the city centre.

In 1883, the dissolution of the partnership between Henry Bessell and Lawrence John Smith was listed in The London Gazette with the former company named as Bessell and Smith. In all the directory listings I have found prior to this, the company is named as Henry Bessell. The exact relationship between the two is not known at this point. Perhaps Smith invested in the business but had little to do with its day to day running - we do not know. If you are reading this on any site not connected to Chrisopher Clarke Antiques, it has been used without their permission. Henry continued the business and in 1891, moved his family to 63 Redland Road, Westbury on Trym which is on the outskirts of Bristol but closer to his Western Cabinet Works at Meadow Street, Avonmouth.

The census of 1901 shows that Henry Bessell had moved his family once again, this time to 11 Brunswick Square, Bristol, A Georgian building closer to the centre of the city. Bessell's 23 year old son, Henry Jr. was also a cabinet maker by this date. By 1911, they had moved once again to 17 Cornwallis Crescent, Clifton. Henry senior remained at this address until his death in 1925, aged 82. It is presumed that Henry junior continued the business but his brother Charles Raymond Bessell, a timber salesman, administered their father's estate.