W. & C. French, also known just as French, was a civil engineering company based at Buckhurst Hill on the outskirts of Greater London, in south-west Essex.
History The business of Messrs W. and C. French was established by William French and his brother Charles French in 1870.
In the Second World War it constructed many RAF airfields and also built Mulberry harbour units.Hartcup, p. 94
On 19 September 1949 it became a public company, when the chairman of the company was Charles Samuel French, the son of William French. Another director was Brigadier John Linnaeus French CB CBE (18 November 1896 – 12 March 1953), a former commander of Colchester Garrison, and brother of Charles. Its transport depot was at Loughton. They had other depots at Colchester and Wisbech and carried out most of its work in East Anglia. The company was acquired by Kier Group in 1973.
Incidents On 1 June 1973 at 2am seven workers from the Smallfield site at Burstow near Gatwick, had an altercation with two plainclothes policemen, one being Detective Constable Francis Gibbs, at the Jet Line Club at Lowfield Heath. The police had asked the workers to move out of the way, so they could drive out of the car park. The trial occurred in September and October 1973.Surrey Advertiser Friday 21 September 1973 Two 27 year old construction workers died on the M23-M25 construction site at Merstham in 1973 when their site building caught fire. The workers were Charles Gallagher and Brian Coll, both from Inverkeithing in Scotland.Times Saturday 4 August 1973, page 2 A 19-year worker at Pease Pottage on the M23 motorway contract, on 19 March 1974, had his hand burned on an overhead 11kV transmission line, and had to have the hand amputated.Crawley and District Observer Friday 28 June 1974, page 26 In July 1975, on the M25 Reigate to Godstone section, three workers drowned, in a drainage inspection shaft, that was 25 feet deep, at Merstham. The workers were James Daly, 27 year old site engineer Michael John Horwood, and 31 year old excavator driver Patrick Carrigg. At the High Court in May 1978, 27 year old Jennifer Horwood and her two daughters, of Forest Hill, received £72,500. 31 year old Agnes Carrigg received £25,941, her son received £3,000, and her two daughters received £4,000 and £5,000.Times Friday 5 May 1978, page 3
Major projects
The Coronation Channel at Spalding, Lincolnshire on the River Welland completed in 1953 Improvements at Acton Lane Power Station, completed in September 1966Times Friday 8 January 1965, page 19 Beckton Sewage Treatment Works, developed in a joint project with Balfour Beatty, late 1960sTimes Monday October 7, 1968, page 19 Crossness Sewage Treatment Works, around 1963
Education New facilities at New Hall, Cambridge completed in 1965Times Friday 22 June 1962, page 8Times Thursday 21 October 1965, page 24 South Woodford halls residence for Queen Mary College, completed in 1964Times Monday 3 December 1962, page 14South Woddford
Hospitals The second stage of Princess Alexandra Hospital, Harlow, completed in 1962Times Monday 5 February 1962, page 12
Housing developments
Development of 1,340 houses in Houghton Regis in Bedfordshire, completed in May 1958Luton News Thursday 8 May 1958, page 1Times Wednesday 1 June 1960, page 19 High-rise flats at Stoke Newington, the Milton Gardens Estate, completed in 1964Times Thursday 6 February 1964, page 10 Owen Waters House, 12-storey high-rise block, Ilford, completed in 1964Times Thursday 10 September 1964, page 10
Commercial buildings BP House at Great Parndon, completed in mid-1967Times Saturday 18 December 1965, page 13Times Wednesday 22 December 1965, page 13Times Wednesday 16 February 1966, page 19 Comet House, the corporate headquarters of BOAC, completed in 1964Times Friday 26 April 1963, page 4 The computer building for BOAC, completed in 1966Times Monday 3 January 1966, page 12 Daily Mirror Building near Holborn Circus (now the headquarters of Sainsbury's), completed in 1959Times Friday 13 December 1957, page 18Times Tuesday 16 December 1958, page 14 the Debenhams store in Romford (formerly Stone's), completed in 1964Times Friday 13 March 1964, page 18 Two large motels for Saxon Inn Motor Hotels, of Harlow, at Northampton and Blackburn (now owned by Mercure)Times Friday March 26, 1971, page 22 Nationwide Building Society HQ, Princes Street, Swindon, completed in 1976
Railways The first two miles of the Piccadilly Line Heathrow extension, from Hounslow West tube station to Hatton Cross tube station, completed 1975Times Thursday 11 March 1971, page 4 Harlow Town railway station, completed in 1963The Sphere Saturday 20 August 1960, page 35Times Tuesday 5 March 1963, page 17 Rebuilding of the Metropolitan line between Harrow and Moor Park tube station in 1963 for four linesTimes Friday May 24, 1963 Tower Hill tube station, completed in 1967Times Wednesday 4 November 1964, page 7
Reservoirs Covenham Reservoir completed in 1978 Foremark Reservoir, south Derbyshire, completed in 1973Birmingham Daily Post Monday 29 January 1973, page 7 Grafham Water (originally known as Diddington Reservoir) completed in 1965,Times Tuesday 30 October 1962, page 18Times Monday 4 July 1966, page 18 Hanningfield Reservoir completed in 1957 Hilfield Park Reservoir completed in 1966Times Monday 21 March 1966 Queen Elizabeth II Reservoir (Walton South Reservoir) completed in 1962Times Saturday 31 March 1962, page 5 Queen Mother Reservoir, near Datchet, completed in 1976Times Friday September 26, 1969, page 23 Upper Tamar Lake, north Cornwall, completed in 1977 Wraysbury Reservoir completed in 1971Times Friday 26 September 1969, page 23
Roads Bracknell central gyratory, completed in 1974Bracknell Times Thursday 11 January 1973, page 31 Gatwick Airport Link Road, completed in 1975West Sussex County Times Friday 19 April 1974, page 20 A11 Harlow and Potter Street bypass, completed in 196021 Times Tuesday October 1958, page 6 A118 Bow Interchange with the A12, and demolition of the former Bow Bridge, London, completed 1967Times Friday 5 February 1965, page 16 A12 Brentwood bypass completed in 1965Times Wednesday 11 March 1964, page 22 A12 Ufford to Wickham Market completed in 1976 A14 Stowmarket to Claydon bypass, first stage opened in August 1975, and second stage opened in November 1975 (as the A45)Bury Free Press Friday 28 November 1975, page 32 A19 Sunderland Bypass and Hylton Viaduct completed in 1971Belfast Telegraph Tuesday 3 February 1970, page 3 A47 King's Lynn southern bypass, completed in 1975Lynn Advertiser Friday 7 April 1972, page 1Lynn Advertiser Friday 17 March 1972, page 1
Motorways A1(M) Durham Motorway, Bowburn (A177) to Carrville (A690), completed in May 1969Newcastle Journal Thursday 21 November 1968, page 12 M11 Redbridge to Loughton completed in 1975 M18 Thurcroft (M1) to Wadworth (A1 M) completed in 1967 M18 Thorne to East Cowick, with the Langham Interchange, completed in 1975 M23 Hooley to Merstham completed in 1975 M23 Merstham to Pease Pottage completed in 1975 M3 Basingstoke East to Hawley, Hampshire completed in 1968Surrey Advertiser Friday 20 December 1968, page 22Reading Evening Post Friday 9 October 1970, page 1 M4 Wootton Bassett to Liddington completed in 1971Times Thursday 13 January 1972 M5 Oldbury to Ray Hall, completed in 1972Birmingham Daily Post Wednesday 24 May 1972, page 10 M5 Edithmead to Dunball, completed in 1971Cheddar Valley Gazette Friday 22 January 1971, page 13Western Daily Press Wednesday 20 January 1971, page 1 M6 Carnforth to Farleton completed in 1970 M6 Farleton to Killington completed in 1970 M62 Pole Moor to Outlane completed in 1970 M62 Outlane to Hartshead completed in 1972 M62 Pollington to Rawcliffe completed in 1975 M621 Gildersome to Beeston, completed in 1973Huddersfield Examiner Tuesday 20 November 1973, page 8 Runnymede Bridge (now the M25), completed in 1961Times Friday 17 November 1961, page 7Times Tuesday 13 October 1959, page 5
Airfields BOAC maintenance depot (now British Airways) at Heathrow Airport completed in 1955Times Tuesday 24 February 1953, page 14 BOAC engine overhaul plant at Nantgarw in south Wales, now GE Aviation WalesTimes Friday December 13, 1957, page 18 Flight catering centre for Marriott In-flite Services, on Faggs Road in Feltham, 1969,Times Friday June 20, 1969, page 22 Extensions to East Midlands Airport buildings, completed in 1967Times Tuesday 31 January 1967, page 10 Edinburgh Airport runway extension completed in 1973Times Monday 17 September 1973, page 28 Gatwick Airport extended by 1,090 ft, completed in May 1973West Sussex County Times Friday 4 August 1972, page 20 London Heliport completed in 1959 RAF Alconbury completed in 1940 RAF Downham Market completed in 1942 RAF Duxford completed in 1943 RAF Earls Colne completed in 1942 RAF Graveley completed in 1942 RAF Kings Cliffe completed in 1943 RAF Rivenhall completed in 1943 RAF Thurleigh completed in 1941
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