| Admin History | The Pinniger family originated in Wiltshire. Many of its members bore the Christian name Broome, including successive senior partners of the solicitor’s firm.
Broome Pinniger (1798-1864) was the first to settle in Newbury, at some date prior to 1830. His premises were initially at St Mary’s Hill, but he had moved to a prominent position in the Market Place by 1844.
Two of his sons, Broome Pinniger II (1828-1900) and James Cockburn Pinniger (1829-1907) joined him in the business in due course, as, later, did Broome II’s son Broome Pinniger III (1868-1952) and James’s sons Cockburn Broome Pinniger (1861-1937) and Stanley Vickers Pinniger (1863-[c.1940s?]). Broome I’s youngest son, William Henry (born in 1841) joined the Merchant Navy.
From c.1869 the firm was known as B & J C Pinniger, with the cousins Broome II (1828-1900) and James Cockburn Pinniger (1829-1907) as partners.
Broome Pinniger II (1828-1900) became a solicitor in partnership with his father in 1850. He was a trustee of Kimber's and Cowslade's Charities, and a founding member of the Newbury Volunteer Company in 1857.
James Cockburn Pinniger held a number of important roles, including those of Coroner for Newbury, 1870-1907 (in which office he was succeeded by his son Cockburn Broome); Clerk of the Peace for Newbury Borough Quarter Sessions; registrar of Newbury County Court; clerk to Bradfield Board of Guardians; Superintendent Registrar for Bradfield District; secretary to Newbury Water Company; etc. His sons succeeeded him in many of these positions.
The last Broome Pinniger of Newbury died in 1952 aged 83, and his business was taken over by Messrs Charles Lucas & Marshall. Records found in his offices included the records of Newbury Borough Quarter Sessions, which were transferred to the Newbury Borough Archives; they are now at Berkshire Record Office (see N/JQ). Records of Hampshire and Wiltshire clients were transferred in 1952 to Hampshire Record Office and Wiltshire and Swindon Record Office respectively.
Other Broome Pinnigers, including the Anglo-Indian Olympian Broome Eric Pinniger (1902-1996), belonged to other branches of the family, and are not closely related to the Newbury branch whose papers are found here.
The firm may have taken over the practice of James Hall, also active in the early 19th century. Hall appears to have died in c.1822 and was succeeded in business by [his son?] William Robert Hall, who James had taken on as a clerk in 1816. He died or retired at some point between 1854 and 1863. His business records were among those found at Pinniger’s offices. |