Kemble and Co

of Carysfort Road, Stoke Newington, London, N16. Telephone: Clissold 2446-7. Cables: "Kemjac, London". Later of Bletchley.

1911 Company founded by Michael Kemble in North London, the centre of piano manufacturing at that time.

By the 1930s, the group was actively growing. Absorbed Moore and Moore; Squire and Longson and Rogers Eungblut. At this time, Kemble designed the Minx and Cameo ranges of smaller pianos.

1947 Listed Exhibitor - British Industries Fair. Manufacturers of Kemble, B. Squire, Moore and Moore, Squire and Longson and Rogers-Eungblut Pianos. The "Minx" Miniature Model. Tropical Models a Speciality. (Olympia, Ground Floor, Stand No. C.1561)

1960s Michael's son, Robert, expanded sales and production dramatically, and moved to modern new premises.

By the 1970s the company had taken over John Brinsmead and Sons, J. B. Cramer and Co, and Chappell Piano Co.

1981 Deal with German make, Ibach, to make pianos under licence at the Milton Keynes factory

The small Bijou (later Classic) range of modern pianos, proved popular and attracted the interest of the Yamaha Corporation’s manufacturing ambitions, who became Kemble’s owners.

Brian Kemble MBE, grandson of the founder, continued the tradition, as a British manufacturer and the largest maker in Western Europe, with modern production facilities, using modern technology with traditional British craftsmanship and design in order to produce pianos of outstanding quality and value.

2007 Acquired by Yamaha; the company, by then located in Bletchley, Milton Keynes, Bucks, continued to be run by the Kemble family

• Queen’s Award for Export Achievement.

2009 Production ended.

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