Birmingham: Webster and Horsfall, Birmingham’s oldest business – its history and the project to save its records for family historians

Our speaker  joined Webster and Horsfall as a Production Manager in their fine wire department and ever since has taken a keen interest in the history of the Company which celebrates its 300th Anniversary in 2020.  He retired in 2005 and now devotes his time to the development of the Webster and Horsfall Archives, Family History and Calligraphy. We will hear about their history which starts in Shropshire and Deritend, a merger that combined the two names  and about the work now being undertaken in classifying the documents of the company.  Interestingly some that were feared lost were found in an attic at the works and others are being rescued from Scotland!  The company is famed for the first transatlantic cables – the first snapped hence the second – and items such as piano wire..

Speaker: Alexander Robertson