Sir Alfred Bird, 1st Baronet
Encyclopedia
Sir Alfred Frederick Bird, 1st Baronet (27 July 1849 – 7 February 1922) was a British chemist, food manufacturer and Conservative Party
politician. He is best remembered as the proprietor of Alfred Bird & Sons
, a company founded by his father Alfred Bird
, the inventor of baking powder and the powdered custard that bears his name.
Bird was born in Birmingham
and was educated at King Edward's School, Birmingham
. In 1867 he joined his father's company. In 1878 he took full control of the company following the death of his father, and began an ambitious programme of modernisation and expansion. Bird also continued to innovate with new products such as a powdered egg substitute, jelly crystals and tablet jellies. In 1900 Alfred Bird & Sons Ltd became a public limited company.
Bird retired as chairman and managing director of the company in 1905. He stood unsuccessfully as the Unionist candidate on Wednesbury
at the 1906 general election
, and at the January 1910 general election he was elected as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Wolverhampton West
, a seat which he held until his death. He was knighted
in the 1920 New Year Honours for his services to the reorganisation of Overseas Officers' Clubs and to discharged servicemen and old age pensioners and created a Baronet
, of Solihull in the County of Warwick, in the 1922 New Year Honours for his patronage of art and for donating paintings to the Houses of Parliament. However, he died before the Letters Patent could be issued for his baronetcy.
Alfred Frederick Bird died on 7 February 1922, aged 72, shortly after being run over by a car in Piccadilly
, London. He was succeeded in the baronetcy by his eldest son Robert
, who also won the March 1922 by-election to succeed him as MP for Wolverhampton West.
The company continued as a family run business until 1947, when the American company General Foods Corporation acquired control of the company. Birds remains to this day a major food brand, although its products are no longer made in Birmingham.
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
politician. He is best remembered as the proprietor of Alfred Bird & Sons
Bird's Custard
Bird's Custard is the original version of what is known generically as custard powder. It is a cornflour -based powder which thickens to form a custard-like sauce when mixed with milk and heated to a sufficient temperature...
, a company founded by his father Alfred Bird
Alfred Bird
Alfred Bird was a British food manufacturer and chemist. He was born in Nympsfield, Gloucestershire, England in 1811 was the inventor of a series of food products mostly now taken for granted...
, the inventor of baking powder and the powdered custard that bears his name.
Bird was born in Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
and was educated at King Edward's School, Birmingham
King Edward's School, Birmingham
King Edward's School is an independent secondary school in Birmingham, England, founded by King Edward VI in 1552. It is part of the Foundation of the Schools of King Edward VI in Birmingham, and is widely regarded as one of the most academically successful schools in the country, according to...
. In 1867 he joined his father's company. In 1878 he took full control of the company following the death of his father, and began an ambitious programme of modernisation and expansion. Bird also continued to innovate with new products such as a powdered egg substitute, jelly crystals and tablet jellies. In 1900 Alfred Bird & Sons Ltd became a public limited company.
Bird retired as chairman and managing director of the company in 1905. He stood unsuccessfully as the Unionist candidate on Wednesbury
Wednesbury (UK Parliament constituency)
Wednesbury was a borough constituency in England's Black Country which returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1868 until it was abolished for the February 1974 general election....
at the 1906 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1906
-Seats summary:-See also:*MPs elected in the United Kingdom general election, 1906*The Parliamentary Franchise in the United Kingdom 1885-1918-External links:***-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987**...
, and at the January 1910 general election he was elected as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Wolverhampton West
Wolverhampton West (UK Parliament constituency)
Wolverhampton West was a borough constituency in the town of Wolverhampton in the West Midlands of England. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.-History:...
, a seat which he held until his death. He was knighted
Knight Bachelor
The rank of Knight Bachelor is a part of the British honours system. It is the most basic rank of a man who has been knighted by the monarch but not as a member of one of the organised Orders of Chivalry...
in the 1920 New Year Honours for his services to the reorganisation of Overseas Officers' Clubs and to discharged servicemen and old age pensioners and created a Baronet
Baronet
A baronet or the rare female equivalent, a baronetess , is the holder of a hereditary baronetcy awarded by the British Crown...
, of Solihull in the County of Warwick, in the 1922 New Year Honours for his patronage of art and for donating paintings to the Houses of Parliament. However, he died before the Letters Patent could be issued for his baronetcy.
Alfred Frederick Bird died on 7 February 1922, aged 72, shortly after being run over by a car in Piccadilly
Piccadilly
Piccadilly is a major street in central London, running from Hyde Park Corner in the west to Piccadilly Circus in the east. It is completely within the city of Westminster. The street is part of the A4 road, London's second most important western artery. St...
, London. He was succeeded in the baronetcy by his eldest son Robert
Sir Robert Bird, 2nd Baronet
Sir Robert Bland Bird, 2nd Baronet KBE was a Conservative Party politician in the United Kingdom.- Biography :...
, who also won the March 1922 by-election to succeed him as MP for Wolverhampton West.
The company continued as a family run business until 1947, when the American company General Foods Corporation acquired control of the company. Birds remains to this day a major food brand, although its products are no longer made in Birmingham.
Sources
- Oxford Dictionary of National Biography: Bird, Alfred Frederick by T.A.B.Corley
- www.thepeerage.com