Appendix 4: Select list of contractors and suppliers

Survey of London Monograph 17, County Hall. Originally published by Guild & School of Handicraft, London, 1991.

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'Appendix 4: Select list of contractors and suppliers', in Survey of London Monograph 17, County Hall, (London, 1991) pp. 129-131. British History Online https://www.british-history.ac.uk/survey-london/bk17/pp129-131 [accessed 19 March 2024]

In this section

APPENDIX IV

Select List of Major Contractors and Suppliers for County Hall (Main Building), 1909–1933

The following information is based on the Contracts files in the GLRO (class AR/CB/2), and the detailed reports to Council by the Establishment Committee printed in the Council Minutes.

Many of the firms described in this list as 'of London' had only an office or showroom there, the works being elsewhere. This was no hindrance to their employment on Sections A, B and C of the main building, but in the changed economic circumstances of the late 1920s and early 1930s – when Section D was built – the Council wanted off-site work to be carried out within the 'London district' and contractors to give preference to local workmen.

Acme Flooring & Paving Company (1904) Ltd of London
Portions of the wood block flooring (all Sections).

Albany Forge, Wainwright & Waring
Ironwork for gates, grilles and balustrades (Section D).

Albion Art Foundry
Bronze grilles and galleries in Council Chamber.

George Alexander of Chelsea, sculptor
Wood carving in the Principal-Floor Committee Rooms and on the Lady Members' Staircase, benches and chairs in the Council Chamber; also modelled bronze work in the Council Chamber (Sections A, B and C).

Ames & Hunter (later Ames and Finnis) Ltd of London
Sub-contractor for supplying and fixing roof-tiles and grates (all Sections).

Art Pavements & Decorations Ltd of London
Mosaic and terrazzo pavements in the Belvedere Road and Westminster Bridge Road entrance halls.

Atlantis Engineering Company Ltd of London
Bronze capitals for the columns and pilasters in the Council Chamber.

Automatic Sprinkler Company of London and Manchester
Sub-contractor for sprinklers (Section D).

George P. Bankart of Bromsgrove
Sub-contractor for plasterwork; also supplied lead gutters and rainwater heads (Sections A, B and C).

F. J. Barnes of Stone Quarries, Isle of Portland
Sub-contractor for Portland stonework (Sections A, B and C).

Bath & Portland Stone Firms Ltd of London and Bath
Sub-contractor for Portland stonework (all Sections).

Bath Cabinet Makers' Company Ltd of London and Bath
Furniture for the Principal Floor, including furniture for the Main Committee Room.

Gilbert Bayes of St. John's Wood, sculptor
Modelled the bronze horses' heads and lion-head mooring rings on the embankment wall, and the Knott memorial plaque.

Birmingham Guild Ltd of London and Birmingham
Sub-contractor for decorative bronze and other metal work in Section D; also bronze curtain-rods and supports in the Council Chamber and the bronze 'Bar of the House'

Boekbinder & Sons (London) Ltd
Decorative plasterwork, including plasterwork in the Council Chamber (Sections A, B and C).

F. Braby & Company Ltd of London
Sub-contractor for copperwork.

British Luxfer Prism Syndicate Ltd of London (Luxfer Ltd)
Sub-contractor for steel lantern lights (Sections A, B and C). Supplier of gates, grilles and balustrades, and galleries and book-shelves in the Education Library (Section D).

British Vacuum Cleaning & Engineering Company Ltd of Fulham
Suppliers of vacuum cleaning plant (Section D).

Bromsgrove Guild Ltd
Decorative bronze and other metal work, including lamp standards, balcony railings on Ceremonial Stairs and window guards over staff entrances (Sections A, B and C).

The Buffalo Forge Company Ltd of London
Heating and ventilation system for the Council Chamber and the Main Committee Room.

Ernest Cole, sculptor
Figure sculptures on the exterior of Sections A, B and C.

Cooper, Wettern & Company Ltd of London
Sub-contractor for granite work (Sections A, B and C).

Crittall Manufacturing Company Ltd of London and Essex, and its subsidiary, the Crittall Freeman Bronze Company Ltd
Decorative bronze and other metal work including bronze main doors in Belvedere Road, and the Members' Entrance doors (Sections A, B and C).

Richard Crittall & Company Ltd of London
Sub-contractors for heating, hot water supply and heat for cooking (Sections A, B and C).

Crompton & Company Ltd of London and Chelmsford
Sub-contractors for electrical work.

Davey, Paxman & Company Ltd of London and Colchester
Six marine type multi-tubular boilers (Sections A, B and C).

A. D. Dawnay & Sons Ltd of Battersea and Tyneside
Contractor for the constructional steelwork (Section D).

Dorman, Long & Company Ltd of London and Middlesbrough
Contractors for portions of the constructional steelwork (Sections A, B and C).

Dorman & Smith Ltd of London
Sub-contractors for the main and sub-main switchboards (Section D).

Doulton & Company of Lambeth
Sanitary work (Sections A, B and C).

J. L. Emms of Hammersmith
Sub-contractor for lead work, including cast lead gutters and rainwater heads (Sections A, B and C).

Exchange Telegraph Company Ltd of London
Supply and installation of electric 'annunciators' in the lobbies and surrounding rooms to show business in progress in the Council Chamber.

Express Lift Company Ltd of Southwark
Passenger, goods and service lifts (Sections A, B and C).

Faraday & Son Ltd of London
Four electroliers for the Council Chamber.

Farmer & Brindley Ltd of Westminster
Sub-contractor for the decorative marble work, including marble chimneypieces (Sections A, B and C).

Fennings & Company Ltd of Hammersmith
Sub-contractor for part of the granite work (Sections A, B and C).

John Freeman, Sons, & Company Ltd
Sub-contractor for the granite work for the northern extension of the embankment wall, and for part of the granite work on Sections A, B and C.

W. J. Furse & Company Ltd of London and Nottingham
Sub-contractor for lightning conductors (Section D).

Galsworthy Ltd of London
Gates, grilles, balustrades and other ironwork (Section D).

Gee, Walker & Slater Ltd of London and Derby
Main contractors for Section D.

E. Gibbons & Sons of Stockwell
Sub-contractors for York stonework (Sections A, B and C).

J. Gibbons Ltd
Gates, grilles and balustrades and other ironwork (Section D).

Gillett & Johnson of Croydon
Installation of synchronised clocks.

W. T. Glover & Company Ltd of London and Manchester
Sub-contractor for main and sub-main cables (Section D).

G. N. Haden & Sons Ltd of London
Sub-contractor for heating and hot-water systems.

Alfred F. Hardiman, sculptor
Figure sculptures on the exterior of Section D.

Alexander Hawkins & Sons of London
Electric lighting and power (Section D).

F. & H. F. Higgs Ltd of Loughborough Junction
Principal contractors for the foundations, including the concrete raft and retaining walls.

Hobbs, Hart & Company Ltd of London
Suppliers of all locks (Sections A, B and C).

Holland & Hannen and Cubitts Ltd of London
Principal contractor for the superstructure (Sections A, B and C).

Hollis Brothers Ltd
Portions of the wood-block flooring (Sections A, B and C).

Henry Hope & Sons Ltd of London and Birmingham
Steel window-casements (all Sections).

J. Jeffreys & Company Ltd of Teddington
Heating arrangements throughout the whole building, including the hot water supply and the supply of heat for cooking, and vacuum cleaning system for Section C.

E. C. & J. Keay Ltd of London and Darlaston
Contractors for portions of the constructional steelwork (Sections A, B and C).

Keystone Varnish Company of Hull
Paints and varnishes (Sections A, B and C).

J. A. King & Company Ltd of London
Pavement lights (all Sections).

Korkoid & Ruboleum Tile Company of London
Laying 'Ruboleum' in the 'ambulatory'.

La Brea Asphalte Company of London
Sub-contractor for asphalt work (all Sections).

Laurence, Scott & Electromotors Ltd of London and Norwich
Electric motors (Section D).

W. Lucy & Company Ltd
Sub-contractor for the supply and fixing of steel shelving (Sections A, B and C).

Charles H. Mabey of Vauxhall, sculptor
Architectural stone carving, including the heraldic shields on the river and northern fronts, the capitals for the columns on the river and Belvedere Road fronts and the carved trophies above the main entrances. Some decorative wood carving in the lobbies. Also made architectural models of County Hall.

H. H. Martyn & Company
Gates, grilles, balustrades and other ironwork (Section D).

Morris Singer & Company of London, sculpture founders (see also William Morris and Company (Westminster) Ltd and J. W. Singer & Sons)
Sub-contractor for cast lead gutters and rainwater pipes and heads (Section D).

William Morris & Company (Westminster) Ltd
Bronze cases for the radiators in the Members' Entrance and Council Chamber.

Morrison & Mason Ltd of Glasgow
Contractors for northern extension of embankment wall.

Newton Fire Extinguisher Company Ltd of London
Sub-contractor for the sprinkler installation (Section D).

F. A. Norris & Dutton Ltd of London
Sub-contractor for heating and hot water (Section D).

Pennycook Patent Glazing & Engineering Company of London
Sub-contractor for patent glazing.

Pirelli & Company Ltd of London
Portions of the electrical works (Sections A, B and C).

Price & Reeves Ltd of London
Contractor for the main portion of the embankment wall.

H. Pooley & Son Ltd of Clerkenwell
Weighbridges (Section D).

Shanks & Company Ltd of London and Scotland
Sanitary fittings (Section D).

W. B. Simpson & Sons of Clapham
Sub-contractor for wall and floor tiling (Sections A, B and C).

J. W. Singer & Company of Frome, sculpture founders (see also Morris Singer & Company)
Decorative bronze and other metal work, including gates across the Ceremonial Stairs, and the horses' and lions' heads on the embankment wall (Sections A, B and C).

Stella Conduit Company Ltd
Steel conduits and cast-iron boxes for electrical installations (Sections A, B and C).

Strode & Company Ltd of London
Decorative bronze and other metal work, including wrought-iron gates at the Westminster Bridge Road entrance, bronze balconies for windows in entrance lobby and copperwork for the flagstaff.

United Stone Firms Ltd
Sub-contractor for the Portland stonework (Sections A, B and C).

Vertigan & Company Ltd of London
Sub-contractor for parts of the wood-block flooring (Sections A, B and C).

Waddell & Wilson
Sub-contractor for the supply and fixing of steel shelving (Sections A, B and C).

Charles Wall Ltd of London
Contractor for the substructure – basement and sub-basement – and portions of the constructional steelwork (Sections A, B and C).

Waygood Otis Ltd of Clapham
Electric passenger lifts in all Sections, also electric book lifts in the Education Library.

J. Westwood & Company Ltd of Millwall
Contractors for portions of the constructional steelwork (Sections A, B and C).

A. & S. Wheater & Company Ltd of London
Sub-contractor for non-decorative plasterwork (Sections A, B and C).

Whitaker, Hall & Owen of London
Consulting engineers for the constructional steel work (all Sections).

J. Whitehead & Sons Ltd of Kennington
Supplied and fixed Roman marble for the Belvedere Road and Westminster Bridge Road entrance halls (Sections A, B and C). Supplied and fixed Hopton wood stone pavings and fixed polished limestone work in the north entrance hall of Section D.

Alfred H. Wilkinson, sculptor
Stone carving in entrance halls and Members' Library; wood carving in Section D committee rooms