occupation

Carpenter

dates

Baptised: 30 Apr 1865, North Nibley,

                Gloucestershire

Married: Aug 1865 to Sarah Ann PAINTIN at

                Headington, Oxon

Died: 7 May 1956, Oxford

residence

Oxford

submitted by

Jill MUIR (mother-in-law of Mike ORGAN, great-grandson)

related faces

Arthur ORGAN (son)

John ORGAN (grandson)

Background information

By the time of the 1881 census Albert ORGAN had arrived in Oxford and joined his brothers, David and Ephraim ORGAN.

Albert Thomas ORGAN worked with his brothers Ephraim and David as a carpenter, specialising in high class work and the design and building of staircases. The family prospered. Albert Thomas eventually purchased the timber yard at Temple Road, Cowley from his brother Ephraim and these premises became known as A.T. ORGAN & Sons.

About 1930, Albert Thomas built two houses numbered 29 and 31 Glanville Road opposite a block of recently constructed garages situated at the rear of what was to become the main depot of the Oxford Bus Company. He moved into this property in 1932 and his son Harold moved in next door. Another son Jim remained in Temple Road, in a red brick house adjoining the Organ timber yard. After Albert’s death, the business of A.T. ORGAN and the house at 75 Temple Road were owned by his widow Sarah Ann, who lived at 29 Glanville Road until her own death in 1956. Jim, Bert and Harold ran the timber yard at Cowley as equal partners with their mother Sarah Ann.

Early business at Cowley yard consisted of tree felling, general carpentry and making firelighters, called Organ Reliance Firelighters, which were packed in brown paper with a pink label. These became known throughout the Oxford area. Later products included garden sheds, greenhouses, cages for battery hens and veneered dashboards for Morris motorcars, whose first factory in the old Military College, lay behind the timber yard. In March and April of each year the entire timber yard was stacked with pea sticks and bean rods and every shop that had space sold them. In those days every household with a garden would grow peas and beans.