John Alderman / Chapman & Alderman
1835 - 1903
John Alderman is listed in the London directories as a manufacturer of invalid chairs, couches and carriages.
At this date the term invalid had a far wider use and his sedan chairs would equally have been used for carrying the older ladies of the house up and down stairs as for a young officer to be carried in India. Alderman's brass label typically fixed to the seat frame, shows he had premises at 16 Soho Square, London.
He started out working for the cabinet maker and upholster Thomas Chapman at 8 Denmark Street and the 1841 census list John Alderman as living at the address with Chapman's family and others. We do not yet know the exact start date of Chapman's business but he was born in 1791. He is listed at in the 1839 directories as at 8 Denmark Street and he is known to having been making invalid furniture by at least 1835, if not before. By 1846 Chapman added premises at 9 New Bond Street.
Alderman became his partner in 1855 with the business known as Chapman & Alderman. They remained at the Denmark Street premises but by 1856, it was listed under only Alderman's name and we can presume that Chapman had retired by this date. John Alderman was took out patents for furniture in 1855 and 1858.
In either 1857 or 1858, premises were also taken at 16 Soho Square, with Denmark Street kept as the manufactory. The Alderman family also lived at Soho Square. Alderman started to advertise
John Alderman is listed in the London directories as a manufacturer of invalid chairs, couches and carriages.
At this date the term invalid had a far wider use and his sedan chairs would equally have been used for carrying the older ladies of the house up and down stairs as for a young officer to be carried in India. Alderman's brass label typically fixed to the seat frame, shows he had premises at 16 Soho Square, London.
He started out working for the cabinet maker and upholster Thomas Chapman at 8 Denmark Street and the 1841 census list John Alderman as living at the address with Chapman's family and others. We do not yet know the exact start date of Chapman's business but he was born in 1791. He is listed at in the 1839 directories as at 8 Denmark Street and he is known to having been making invalid furniture by at least 1835, if not before. By 1846 Chapman added premises at 9 New Bond Street.
Alderman became his partner in 1855 with the business known as Chapman & Alderman. They remained at the Denmark Street premises but by 1856, it was listed under only Alderman's name and we can presume that Chapman had retired by this date. John Alderman was took out patents for furniture in 1855 and 1858.
In either 1857 or 1858, premises were also taken at 16 Soho Square, with Denmark Street kept as the manufactory. The Alderman family also lived at Soho Square. Alderman started to advertise
more in places such as Brashaw's Travel Guides and built a strong reputation for his work with endorsements from the likes of Garibaldi, the Italian General and Unifier. By 1865 the company had also taken on further premises at 50 Tottenham Court Road which they kept into the 1880s.
John Alderman died in 1890 and the company became Alderman, Johnson & Co. and moved to 138 & 140 Charing Cross as well as New Bond Street. In 1903 the company was transferred to John Ward Ltd, one of Alderman's competitors. John Alderman is perhaps best known for his folding sedan chairs which have folding iron carrying bars and they are not uncommon.
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