Charles Lloyd was a pipe organ builder based in Nottingham who flourished between 1859 and 1909.[1]
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Charles Lloyd had previously worked for Groves of London. Charles Lloyd set up in business first with Lorenzo Valentine and shortly afterwards with Alfred Dudgeon. Their workshop was at 52A Union Road, near the centre of Nottinghan. They were soon at work installing organs in places of worship in and around the Nottingham area. Charles Lloyd was commissioned by Sydney Pierrepont, 3rd Earl Manvers of Holme Pierrepont, to construct and exhibit a 2 manual & pedal organ at the Birmingham Trades Exhibition in 1865. It was to win Lloyd a gold medal award for its workmanship and tone. After the exhibition was over the organ was removed back to Nottingham and installed in St. Edmund's Church, Holme Pierrepont.
It appears that Lloyd & Dudgeon were partners until 1876. It then became changed to C. Lloyd & Co, Church Organ Builders, Nottingham.
When the Great Central Railway was brought to Nottingham in 1896, land occupied by the Lloyd business had to be cleared to make way for the Victoria Station. Charles Lloyd moved to 79 Brighton Street, St Ann’s.
In 1909, his son, Charles Francis Lloyd took over the business and it continued until 1928 with no change to the name.
The first was Ernest Wragg of Carlton, who after his period of training set up as an organ builder himself in 1894 on Carlton Road, Thorneywood, as E. Wragg & Son, Organ Builders.
The second was John Compton, born in Measham, Leicestershire. He entered into organ building first at Birmingham, then with Brindley of Sheffield, then in Nottingham under Charles Lloyd. When free of his apprenticeship in 1902, along with an organ builder named Musson of Woodborough Road, Nottingham, they became Compton & Musson.