When this photo is enlarged the name on the piano is revealed, it is a Sames piano. Photo owned by owner of this website.
Sames’ pianos
1851 Census Jacob Sames, a musician aged 20 years is visiting a household in Warrington. He was born in Germany.
1856 At the parish of St Jude Birmingham on the 10th August 1856 William Sames is baptised. He is the son of Jacob and Tamar, they are living at 8 Suffolk St and Jacob’s profession is musical instrument maker. William was born on the 7th February 1855.
1861 Census Jacob and Tamar Sames are living in Brimingham with their 5 children. Jacob was born in Germany and he is working as a music seller.
1871 Census In this census Jacob and Tamar Sames are living in King’s Norton with two of their children Nathan and William. Jacob is working as a harmonium maker.
1877 William Sames married in the third quarter of 1877, registration district King’s Norton in Worcestershire.
1881 Census Jacob and Tamar Sames are living in King’s Norton and Jacob is working as a brickmaker. William and his wife Lillian are living at 138 Kingswood Road, King’s Norton and his profession is manufacturer of musical instruments.
1891 Census In this Census William, Alice and their four children are living in King’s Norton and William is a piano and organ manufacturer. Jacob Sames aged 60, is visiting a household in Barston, Warwickshire. It looks as if his profession is manager.
1889 William Sames Ltd was incorporated in 1889 and was dissolved before 1916.
1893 When William Sames’ father married in 1893 Jacob’s profession is listed as innkeeper.
1894 William Sames is a member of the Bedford Lodge. In 1895 he is listed as being 38 years old, a piano manufacturer and living on Ombersley Road.
1895 William Sames Ltd was incorporated in 1895 and dissolved between 1916 and 1932.
1901 Census Jacob Sames and his wife Lucy are living at 40 Fentham Road, Hampton in Arden. His profession is retired musical instrument maker. William, his wide Alice and their four children are living at ‘The Beeches’ in King’s Norton. He is working as a piano and organ manufacturer and his two sons are in the business too.
1911 Census In this Census William Sames, his wife Alice, their daughter Alice Elizabeth and son William Leonard are living in a ten roomed home at 80 Featherston Road, King’s Heath, Worcestershire. William and his on are working as piano manufacturers. Jacob Sames and his wife Lucy Sames are living in a 7 roomed house in Hampton in Arden. Jacob is a Director of the Sames Piano Company.
1911 William Leonard Sames marries Norah E Swinburne in the third quarter in King;s Norton, Worcestershire.
1913 In the Birmingham Gazette dated 27th August 1913 there is an article about a fire at the Sames’ piano factory. The company states that their factory comprises three separate blocks of buildings and that 200 pianos in the first block only are destroyed. The other two blocks were not affected by the fire and they state that production will not be disrupted.
1914 Jacob Sames aged 84 and Lucy Sames aged 60 die in the last quarter of 1914. In the 19th February 1915 copy of the Coventry Herald it provides details about the estate of Lucy Sames. The gross value of her estate was £11,646 14s and of the people to whom probate is granted, one is William Leonard Sames of St Domingo, Tenbury Road, King’s Heath, Birmingham, pianoforte manufacturer.
1915 On the 16th January 1915 William Leonard Sames, a dealer is travelling to the United States on the Lusitania. This ship was sunk a few months later.
1915 William Leonard Sames, pianoforte manufacturer is one of the executors of the will of his step-grandmother, Lucy Sames. She left an estate of £11,646 14s and left this to her husband Jacob Sames for life. This information came from the Coventry Herald dated the 19th February 1915.
1915 In the Marlborough Press dated the 5th June 1915 it states “the Tramways Carnival Committee of the War Relief Fund in Wellington were anxious to secure a British piano, made by British labour, as a prize for a competition in aid of their “Queen” candidate. They interviewed the Bristol Piano Co. Ltd., with the result that the firm has presented a very fine instrument with seventy guineas made by William Sames, the famous English manufacturers”.
1921 Census In this Census William Sames, and Eva Sames (I assume his daughter-in-law) are visiting Guersney. His occupation is Director of Piano Manufacturer. His place of work is at home. His son William Leonard Sames and his wife Norah Elizabeth Sames are living at 50 Reddings Road, Moseley, Smethwick, Worcestershire. His occupation is pianoforte manufacturer.
1923 In the Birmingham Gazette dated the 31st August 1923 there is a large advertisement stating that the fire at the factory will not disrupt manufacture of the pianos. At that time there were 350 pianos in stock, they have large quantities of seasoned wood available and that the high standard of the pianos will be maintained.
1931 There is an entry in the London Gazette dated the 21st April 1931 stating “notice is hereby given that the Partnership heretofore subsisiting between us, the undersigned, William Leonard Sames, Fanny Freeman Scriven and Douglas Gervase Williams, carrying on the business as Woodworkers and furniture and Cabinet Makers at 104 Ryland Street in Birmingham, under the style or firm of the Ladywood cabinet Co., has been dissolved as from the 25th day of March, 1931. All debts due and owing to or by the said late firm will be respectively received and paid by the said William Leonard Sames at 104 Ryland Street aforesaid”.
1939 William Sames is living in Birmingham and he is working as a land and house agent.
1939 There is an obituary for William Sames in the Birmingham Mail on the 12th April 1939. It states ‘the death is announced of Mr William Sames, of 157 All Saints Road, King’s Heath, at the age of 84. He had lived in retirement for many years and for many years was engaged in the manufacturing and retail pianoforte business. Founder of the firm William Sames Ltd, of Ombersley road, Camp Hill, he also had a retail business in Corporation Street. Mr Sames was an old member of the Moseley Bowling Club, and he leaves a widow and two sons and two daughters’.
Probate is granted or Alice Elizabeth Sames spinster on the 9th May 1939 for William Sames of Tudor House All Saints Road Kings Heath Birmingham, died 10th April 1939 at 43 Greenhill Road Moseley Birmingham. Effects £2032 10s 8d.
There is a photo board from c1925 in the Hocken Collections of Otago University. In the piano room of the Bristol Piano Company the names of the pianos that are visible are Collard and Collard, Broadwood and Sames. Both uprights and grands are being sold by the company.
These photos are taken of the Sames piano at Highwic, Auckland.
Photos from personal collection.
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