Catalogue description Records of the Bulmer Family, Cider Makers, of Hereford

Box of lantern slides: portrait slides, presumably of the Bulmer family: and cartoons from the Westminster Gazette.

Bulmer family of Hereford

Bulmer family of Breinton, Herefordshire

The Bulmer family of Hereford, according to these papers, originated in the north of England. Edward Bulmer I wine merchant, who migrated to Bristol in the eighteenth century, was the younger son of a Yorkshire farmer, and there were also Bulmers in Durham. Edward moved to Hereford early in the nineteenth century, and his younger sons Charles and Richard joined him in business. He became mayor in 1822; and his son Richard was also elected and died in 1834 during his year of office.

The eldest son Edward Bulmer II (Rev. Edward Bulmer Snr) entered the Church, becoming rector of Moreton-on-Lugg, and a member of the College of Vicars Choral. He married a daughter of the eminent composer Dr. John Clarke Whitfeld, who was organist at Hereford Cathedral. Two of their sons entered the family wine business at Widemarsh Street, Hereford - the other sons entered the Church.

For these three generations the collection comprises personal papers- originals and copies, and genealogical research by Harold Bulmer. Documentation of their professional activities is fragmentary, however; for Edward Bulmer I and his sons there are some records of business affairs and possession of property, and in the third generation there are a few papers relating to the wine business, mainly after the deaths of the two partners in the firm. Except for the Rev. C.H. Bulmer, particulars of the clerical careers are found here largely from secondary sources.

The collection is dominated by the records of Edward Frederick Bulmer (son of Rev. C.H. Bulmer) in his capacity of local politician, councillor and magistrate, and to a lesser extent by those of his wife's social and public works. They constitute a departure from the somewhat heterogeneous nature of the earlier papers, as there is fuller documentation of particular activities of Mr. & Mrs. Bulmer.

E.F. Bulmer studied Classics at Kings College, Cambridge, but left to join his brother in the building up of the cider firm. He was twice Mayor of Hereford 1908-9 and 1925. A member of local Liberal Associations, he was Liberal candidate in city and county elections, and compiled a selection of political propaganda. From his papers it can be seen that he served on the County Council's Technical Instruction (later called Higher Education) Committee, Insurance Committee, Herefs. Assessment Committee and the City Health and Electricity Committees of which he was chairman. He also served on the bench of magistrates for the County and advisory committees for recommendation of magistrates, and was especially involved in securing more varied representation on the Bench. He was greatly occupied with housing reform and town planning and as Mayor of Hereford initiated a co-partnership housing scheme for a garden city on the Penn Grove estate. He was also interested in health, prevention of consumption, and schemes for a county sanatorium.

Mrs. Bulmer was also occupied with public work- war work in World Wars, especially the care of refugee children in 1939-45 War. Between the wars she was secretary of the Herefordshire branch of the League of Nations Union, and amassed League propaganda. She interested herself also in Women's movements, particularly Women's Institutes and Y.W.C.A., and in child welfare.

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