James Alsford was now the proud owner of a thriving timber business. At the same time as building his business, James and his wife, Harriet, were also building their family – James (2) was born in 1878, followed by Harriet and Louisa.
James (2) spent much of his childhood learning all aspects of the timber trade and, upon leaving school at 14, he started full time work at the timber yard in Wood Green.
Like his father, he turned his hand to whatever needed doing at the yard. But he developed a particular skill for sawing and planing. Always able to anticipate the market, the Alsfords ran one of the few large planing mills in Britain. At a time when the professional classes were demanding the very best timber for their coastal and country properties, the elder James would buy surplus lots of high quality timber at auctions while his son would employ very fine sawing techniques to convert the pieces to smaller sizes – an operation that proved highly profitable.
James continued to take an active part in the timber business until his retirement in 1908. He passed away in March 1912 at the age of 71.
The start of Alsford Timber Ltd
James (1) had always intended to give the business to his son, but in 1898 they quarrelled, and James (2) walked out. The two men never fully reconciled, but James (2) was still given the Leyton yard and £10 in cash. These assets, together with his own savings, enabled him to put his own name up at Leyton and start Alsford Timber, as the company is still known today.
In 1899 he married Lizzie Cullingworth and set up home in Walthamstow. During the next 11 years, James expanded both the business and his family – he took on three helpers at the Leyton yard, and he and Lizzie had 5 children: James (3) was born in 1901, followed by William, Arthur, Winifred and May Victoria.
Alsford moves to Twickenham
Always keen to move out of the city, James bought a timber yard in Twickenham in 1914 and moved the Leyton business over. At that time, Twickenham was a rapidly growing residential district, yet the nearest competitors to the yard were in Richmond and Kingston.
When James took control of the new yard, it was no more than a tumbledown shed, but with James at the helm, its reputation for quality and good service soon spread among the local builders. Furthermore, it was the only yard for miles around where the small builder could obtain everything he needed in the way of timber – weather-board, mouldings, battens etc.
The Great War
Things didn’t run smoothly for long. Just as the Twickenham business was up and running, World War I broke out. In 1916, James (2) joined the West Sussex Regiment, leaving his wife and 14-year old son, James (3) to manage the family business.
Please click here to read an overview of our Company’s History.
Please click here to read Part 3.
Please click here to read Part 1.