W. & C. French

Last updated

W. & C. French Limited
Company typePublic company
IndustryCivil engineering
Founded1870 (1870)
Defunct6 November 1973 (1973-11-06)
Successor Kier Group
Headquarters50 Epping New Road, Buckhurst Hill, Essex, IG9 5TH
Area served
UK, Uganda, Kenya, South Africa, Malawi, Spain
ServicesRoad construction

W. & C. French, also known just as French, was a civil engineering company based at Buckhurst Hill in south-west Essex.

Contents

History

The business of Messrs W. and C. French was established by William French and his brother Charles French in 1870. [1]

In the Second World War it constructed many RAF airfields and also built Mulberry harbour units. [2]

On 19 September 1949 it became a public company, when the Chairman of the company was Charles Samuel French, the son of William French. Another director was Brigadier John Linnaeus French CB CBE (18 November 1896 – 12 March 1953), a former commander of Colchester Garrison, and brother of Charles. Its transport depot was at Loughton. They had other depots at Colchester and Wisbech and carried out most of its work in East Anglia. The company was acquired by Kier Group in 1973. [3]

Incidents

A 19 year worker at Pease Pottage on the M23 motorway contract, on 19 March 1974, had his hand burned on an overhead 11kV transmission line, and had to have the hand amputated. [4]

Major projects

British Airways Heathrow building BAHeathrowHangar.jpg
British Airways Heathrow building

Education

Hospitals

Housing developments

Owen Waters House View of Owen Waters House from Fullwell Avenue - geograph.org.uk - 3625961.jpg
Owen Waters House

Commercial buildings

Railways

Reservoirs

Roads

Motorways

Airfields

References

  1. "Allan George French". The Bancroftian Network. Retrieved 14 September 2015.
  2. Hartcup, p. 94
  3. "Colin Busby". Building. 2001. Retrieved 28 January 2015.
  4. Crawley and District Observer Friday 28 June 1974, page 26
  5. "The River Welland major improvement scheme" (PDF). South Holland Life. Retrieved 14 September 2015.
  6. Times Friday 8 January 1965, page 19
  7. "New Hall Archives". Janus. Retrieved 14 September 2015.
  8. Times Friday 22 June 1962, page 8
  9. Times Thursday 21 October 1965, page 24
  10. Times Monday 3 December 1962, page 14
  11. South Woddford
  12. Times Monday 5 February 1962, page 12
  13. Luton News Thursday 8 May 1958, page 1
  14. Times Wednesday 1 June 1960, page 19
  15. Times Thursday 6 February 1964, page 10
  16. Times Thursday 10 September 1964, page 10
  17. Times Saturday 18 December 1965, page 13
  18. Times Wednesday 22 December 1965, page 13
  19. Times Wednesday 16 February 1966, page 19
  20. Times Friday 26 April 1963, page 4
  21. Times Monday 3 January 1966, page 12
  22. Times Friday 13 December 1957, page 18
  23. Times Tuesday 16 December 1958, page 14
  24. Times Friday 13 March 1964, page 18
  25. Times Thursday 11 March 1971, page 4
  26. The Sphere Saturday 20 August 1960, page 35
  27. Times Tuesday 5 March 1963, page 17
  28. Times Wednesday 4 November 1964, page 7
  29. "British construction projects". Manchester University. Retrieved 14 September 2015.
  30. Birmingham Daily Post Monday 29 January 1973, page 7
  31. "Buckden: A Huntingdonshire Village". p. 154. Retrieved 14 September 2015.
  32. Times Tuesday 30 October 1962, page 18
  33. Times Monday 4 July 1966, page 18
  34. "Hanningfield Facts". Essex & Suffolk Water. Archived from the original on 25 July 2008.
  35. Times Monday 21 March 1966
  36. Historic England. "Queen Elizabeth II Reservoir (1464683)". Research records (formerly PastScape). Retrieved 14 September 2015.
  37. Times Saturday 31 March 1962, page 5
  38. "The Queen Mother Reservoir, Datchet" (PDF). Ground Engineering. October 1976. Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 June 2015. Retrieved 14 September 2015.
  39. Times Friday 26 September 1969, page 23
  40. Bracknell Times Thursday 11 January 1973, page 31
  41. West Sussex County Times Friday 19 April 1974, page 20
  42. Times Wednesday 11 March 1964, page 22
  43. "News and views – Brentwood by-pass opens". Autocar : 1158. 26 November 1965.
  44. 1 2 3 "Construction contracts". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard) . 8 July 1975. Retrieved 14 September 2015.
  45. Bury Free Press Friday 28 November 1975, page 32
  46. Belfast Telegraph Tuesday 3 February 1970, page 3
  47. Lynn Advertiser Friday 7 April 1972, page 1
  48. Lynn Advertiser Friday 17 March 1972, page 1
  49. Newcastle Journal Thursday 21 November 1968, page 12
  50. "Thurcroft to Wadworth". Motorway Archive. Retrieved 14 September 2015.
  51. Crawley and District Observer Friday 28 June 1974, page 26
  52. Surrey Advertiser Friday 20 December 1968, page 22
  53. Reading Evening Post Friday 9 October 1970, page 1
  54. Times Thursday 13 January 1972
  55. Birmingham Daily Post Wednesday 24 May 1972, page 10
  56. Cheddar Valley Gazette Friday 22 January 1971, page 13
  57. Western Daily Press Wednesday 20 January 1971, page 1
  58. 1 2 "Bridges on the M6 Motorway" (PDF). Concrete Quarterly. January 1971. Retrieved 14 September 2015.
  59. "Pole Moor to Outlane". Motorway Archive. Retrieved 14 September 2015.
  60. "Outlane to Hartshead". Motorway Archive. Retrieved 14 September 2015.
  61. "Pollington to Rawcliffe". Motorway Archive. Retrieved 14 September 2015.
  62. Times Friday 17 November 1961, page 7
  63. Times Tuesday 13 October 1959, page 5
  64. "BOAC maintenance headquarters". Engineering Times. Retrieved 14 September 2015.
  65. Times Tuesday 24 February 1953, page 14
  66. Times Tuesday 31 January 1967, page 10
  67. Times Monday 17 September 1973, page 28
  68. West Sussex County Times Friday 4 August 1972, page 20
  69. "Westland Heliport Opening" (PDF). British Universities Film and Video Council. Retrieved 14 September 2015.
  70. "Alconbury Station". Airfield Research Group. Retrieved 18 February 2025.
  71. "RAF Downham Market". Traces of War. Retrieved 18 February 2025.
  72. Historic England. "Duxford: Control Tower (Building 209) (1392871)". National Heritage List for England . Retrieved 18 February 2025.
  73. "Earls Colne airfield". American Air Museum. Retrieved 18 February 2025.
  74. "RAF Graveley". Air Gunner Bob Gill. Retrieved 18 February 2025.
  75. "Premises, sites etc within 30 miles of Harrington Museum" (PDF). Harrington Museum. Retrieved 18 February 2025.
  76. "Exploring WWII RAF Base". YouTube. Retrieved 18 February 2025.
  77. "Bedfordshire, Huntingdonshire and Cambridgeshire WWI and WW" airfiels". Roll of Honour. Retrieved 18 February 2025.

Sources