Catalogue description Record of Bird Brothers, Builders and Contractors of Milton Keynes Village

This collection includes accounts, wages books, estate books and miscellaneous material

Bird Brothers, 1798-1960, Milton Keynes Village, builders

AR. 8/86

These records were found in no. 22 Milton Keynes Village, home of the Bird family since the late eighteenth century (see report on the house by B. Giggins in B.R.O. pamphlet series). They begin in 1873 but the family business is much older; five members of the Bird family at Milton Keynes are described as carpenters in the 1798 Posse Comitatus. Bird Brothers remained one of the main building firms in the area up to the late 1950's.

Their clientele included neighbouring farms and cottages, the church and rector, the Rural District Council, Milton Keynes and Broughton Schools.

They did much work on the Milton Keynes Estate which was owned by the Finch family, who were principal landowners in Milton Keynes. Work done for the Finches was carefully differentiated from that done for other clients (including estate tenants) and recorded separately.

In common with other village builders the Bird Brothers acted as local builder, contractor, carpenter, undertaker, furniture maker and "odd job" man. (see The Village Carpenter by Walter Rose for general description).

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