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Instrument Section C-270 to D-282, Maker - F C Nickolds, Nickolds Bros

A good survey by Wes Williams of the Nickolds family's various addresses and some noted instruments is here: This states:
"According to information from the Crabb family and other sources, John Nickolds (b.1787 in Birmingham) was the toolmaker for Wheatstone, and was replaced by Lachenal in 1848, with his own company at 5, Woodbridge St, Clerkenwell. He had two sons, Frederick Charles and Thomas, also involved with Wheatstone. John Crabb joined with Nickolds to form 'Nickolds, Crabb & Co.'.   John Crabb left the company about 1856 to work for Lachenal, before forming his own company in 1860.

The earliest listing discovered for any of the Nickolds family as a concertina maker appears in 1856; in 1851 John is listed as a 'machinist'. The business became Nickolds Bros, listed as operating from Woodbridge St. between 1856 and 1859. However in 1856 the brothers are also listed individually as: 'Fredk. Chas. Nickolds, Goulden Terrace' and ' Thos. Nickolds, 7 Lower Brunswick Terrace, Barnsbury Road, Islington.'

F.C. Nickolds' company closed about 1888. Their sequence was:

5 Woodbridge St [1856 - 64]
143 Holloway Road [by 1866]
44 Norland Rd , Notting Hill[by 1876]
F. C. Nickolds & Son,203 New North Road,[by 1880]
156 Kingsland Road [by 1888]
159 Kingsland Road

Thomas Nickolds does not appear in any further listings, but is recorded in the 1881 census as a concertina maker, widowed and lodging in Newington. The Horniman has a few instruments, those up to No.8310 are 'Nickolds Brothers', whereas No.8335 is  'F.C.Nickolds'.

In his article on Lachenal, Stephen Chambers notes that one characteristic of Nickolds instruments is that the screw holes of the plate that fastens the reed to the shoe are open ended. He also notes a single sided 'hook action'.

Later listings for Nickolds Bros. as musical instrument sellers in the 1920s in Enfield, Middlesex are a strange echo. They were descendants of the same family.

C.270  Nickolds Bros No 161:-  This 48-key, with a "5 Woodbridge Street Clerkenwell" label, and has some similarities to a Jabez Austin instrument No C.262, and its reeds have the standard Nickolds-style open-sided reed-tongue cross pieces, and quatrefoil and trefoil fret pattern themes.

C.271  Nickolds No 365:- An early 20-Key Nickolds anglo, with the dealers' label of "Barnett Samuel and Sons, Worship Street, London" label, and further label of "E F Allen & Sons, Royal Music Saloon, Wolverhampton"  in lid of case. Its reeds have the standard Nickolds-style open-sided reed-tongue cross pieces

C.275  Nickolds No 2376:- A 26-Key Nickolds English with a variant Nickolds label. Its reeds have the standard Nickolds-style open-sided reed-tongue cross pieces

C.280  Nickolds No 196 (and 256):- A 48-Key Nickolds English with a general label only stating "London Made". Its reeds have the standard Nickolds-style open-sided reed-tongue cross pieces

D.273 Nickolds No 193 :- A budget Nickolds  32-Key English system concertina with unique and very basic drilled frets, and full Nickolds Bros label.  There is a Nickolds Bros stamp on the inner face of the action and on inner pan faces. The fonts of the "L" and "R" stamps are reversed!

D.274 Nickolds No 262 (133 inner) :- 32-Key English system single-action concertina from the Nickolds workshops, with a Simpson, 266 Regent Street dealer's label. The fonts of the "L" and "R" stamps are reversed!

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Created December 2010 by Neil Wayne
Modified September 2011 by Wes Williams
This page created Wednesday 14 September 2011.