Seventy years ago in 1948, the National Fire Service, which had been created in 1941 as the single Fire Service for Great Britain during World War 2, was disbanded and responsibility for fire brigades passed to county councils.

Thus the Buckinghamshire Fire Brigade came in to being. It is therefore an opportune time to look back over the history of the fire service in the High Wycombe area.

At the beginning of the 19th century, all fire engines and crews in the United Kingdom were provided either by voluntary bodies, parish authorities, insurance companies, or individual companies.

At that time the furniture industry dominated the Wycombe area and the town itself was potentially a tinder box, particularly in winter.

Chair making factories, with their polishing shops which contained wood, spirits and polishes heated by slow-combustion stoves, were situated cheek by jowl with tenements.

These were crammed with the large families which were prevalent at that time. It is no exaggeration to say that a mini-replica of the Great Fire of London could easily have occurred.

The Early Years in Wycombe

Prior to 1860, responsibility for keeping the fire engines, which consisted of two hand pumps that had to be placed on waggons and taken to the fire, rested with the Borough Vestry. The equipment was stored in the porch of All Saints church.

Following a number of serious fires in the town’s chair factories, in 1860 the town council took over.

They established a fire brigade, with 18 men, appointed a Mr Lucas as Superintendent, with Messrs Hull and Tilbury as Foremen.

An engine house was built at the Temple End of Frogmoor and a new manual engine was purchased from Shand, Mason & Co., a well-known maker of fire engines.

The firemen were given armbands to identify them at fires with W.F.B. (Wycombe Fire Brigade) and their brigade number marked on them.

This situation existed until 1868, when following criticisms over how the brigade was managed, the High Wycombe Volunteer Fire Brigade was formed.

Among the townsmen who joined the brigade in 1869 were the prominent architect James Thurlow (but he resigned a year later), Arthur Vernon, and Charles W Raffety.

Over the years the equipment was modernised, first with steam power and then motorised, and a bigger fire station in Priory Road opened.

Apart from fighting fires in the area, the High Wycombe Volunteer Fire Brigade became well-known in competitions and travelled as far as Weston-Super-Mare, Birmingham and Kent to take part.

Rarely did they return without a prize. Their efficiency being put down to the number of fires they attended due to the nature of the town’s main industry, being chair making and its highly flammable materials!

Among the prominent citizens of High Wycombe who became members of the Volunteer Fire Brigade (V.F.B.) were:

William Harsant Butler, the son of the founder of the Bucks Free Press, William Butler, who succeeded his father as editor of the paper. He joined the V.F.B. in 1880, becoming Captain and Chief Officer in 1901 until he resigned in 1911.

Arthur Vernon, who served in the V.F.B. for thirteen years from its formation in 1868, becoming it’s Captain.

At the AGM of the Brigade on November 30, 1875 he was presented with a silver (plated) helmet. It was not a "presentation" helmet but rather one to be worn at fires.

It was commented at the time "that the helmet may long be a guiding star to the members of the brigade in seasons of danger and emergency" - it is not known if he did indeed wear it at fires!

On his retirement six years later he was presented on December 30, 1881 with an ornate chair which was made by one of the firemen serving under him, Charles W Deacon.

This was described in the Bucks Free Press as “a Hall chair in oak, of Elizabethan style, with twist pillars, stretchers, and forelegs, and carved head. Upholstered in rich crimson Utrecht velvet. A silver plate bore the inscription ‘presented by members of the High Wycombe Volunteer Fire Brigade to Captain Arthur Vernon, on his retirement after 13 years’ service, Nov. 1881.’

The BFP report continued ‘The brigade then accompanied Mr. Vernon to his home Borshams on Amersham Hill, ‘and its [ie the chair] safety and usefulness in its new location was drunk in bumpers of champagne’.

Ralph Janes, founder of the chair-making company Nichols & Janes, who joined the V.F.B. in 1903 and served until 1920, when he said he was unable to attend drills but was "desirous" to attend fires.

He was put on the Reserve list to help out at larger fires. In 1929 he returned his uniform "as it no longer fitted”.

Later in 1942, when as Alderman Janes he was recounting some of his experiences, Ralph said the first fire he ever attended was to the bedroom where he was born, “as the staircase was ablaze, firemen pulled me through the window and so I just missed finishing where I began”!

Henry Joliffe Cox, who ran newsagents and hairdressing shops in the town, and served with distinction in WWI. He joined the V.F.B. in 1899 and resigned in 1920 due to his injuries sustained in the war.

Bernard C Hooper, who played football for many years for Wycombe Wanderers, subsequently becoming secretary of the club. He joined in 1905 and had to resign in 1923 due to his business commitments.

The Rev. Roland Oakley who joined in 1903 and was tragically killed in 1905 when riding his motorcycle.

To be continued

I am grateful to Harry Holloway for supplying much of this information. Harry has researched the history of firefighting in High Wycombe prior to 1948.

If any reader is aware of the current whereabouts of the ornate chair presented to Arthur Vernon we would be grateful if they would make contact with Mike Dewey 01494 755070, or by email deweymiked@aol.com