Edgar Smith Wigg (7 June 1818 – 14 September 1899) was a South Australian bookseller and stationer, founder of the Adelaide firm E. S. Wigg & Son. It still operates under that name as of December 2020 [update], with branches across Australia.
A son of Richard Wigg (c. 1790–1856), of Tunstall, Suffolk, [1] Edgard Smith Wigg commenced work as a bank clerk, at which time he developed a book club for the benefit of his fellow workers. Sensing an opportunity, he opened a bookshop in Warwickshire. He married Fanny Neale Morewood of Atherstone, Warwickshire in September 1846. Their first child, Edward Neale Wigg, was born in 1847 and the family emigrated to the colony of South Australia shortly afterwards leaving on the "William Hyde" on 29 January 1849 [2] and arriving in Port Adelaide in May 1849. [3]
Wigg rented a shop at 4 Rundle Street on 22 June 1849, [3] where he started a business selling books and homeopathic medicine. Over time, he started manufacturing account books and educational materials. [4]
In August 1857 the business moved to larger premises at 12 (later renumbered to 14) Rundle Street. [2] In 1867 (or 1874? [5]) Wigg bought another bookseller's business (Charles Platt) and became the largest bookseller in the colony, within a few years expanding the printing and manufacturing side of the business. [3]
Wigg also opened a pharmacy at 34 King William Street. [2]
In 1871 Edgar's son, Edward, married Janet Davidson, and a couple of years later, William Laidlaw Davidson emigrated to Adelaide and joined the company. [4] In 1874(?) the company opened an office in London. [5] An additional premises, a warehouse, was opened at Apollo Place in the city. [3]
In 1885, Wigg’s daughter Mary married William Davidson, who by this time was managing the running of the business. The company opened branches in Western Australia during this period, and, after E. S. Wigg died in 1899, business expanded further. In 1902 [3] a factory was built on Port Road at Southwark (now Thebarton and still in existence in 2016 [6]).
The company continued to grow, with the head office moving to 65 Grenfell Street in 1921, which housed the retail business until into the 21st century, [3] and was heritage-listed on 1 November 2001. It is now known as Wiggs Building [7] [8] The company continued in the hands of the Davidson family [9] until at least 2014, [10] and is still registered as ES Wigg & Son Pty Ltd. [11] The holding company owns a number of other businesses across the country, some registered as Wigg & Son, some as Wigg Packaging, and some with other names. [12]
Wigg served on Adelaide City Council from 1871 to 1874 and from 1876 to 1880, then retired from business, handing it over to his eldest son E. Neale Wigg and his son-in-law W. L. Davidson.
He maintained a close relationship with the North Adelaide Baptist Church and the Institution for the Blind. [13]
He died in 1899, aged 81. [3] [4]
Two brothers of E. S. Wigg migrated to Australia in the 1850s, as did a widowed sister, who arrived on the maiden voyage of the Clipper Torrens [14] in 1876 and lived in North Adelaide.
With Fanny Neale Wigg (née Morewood) (c. 1823 – 1 April 1853):
In November 1853 he married Alice (sometimes called Ann) Lane (c. 1819 – 13 January 1855) who came from Boscombe, Devon. They had no children. In November 1855 he married Jane Eccles ( – 22 July 1895); they had two boys and four girls:
Their home for many years was at Lefevre Terrace Medindie. He bought the land in 1851 and had a cottage built there. [2]
The book E.S. Wigg and his successors (1992) is the history of the Wigg family. It contains 24 leaves of plates, many coloured. Several of these plates are works by the artist Mary Millicent Wigg (1904-2001), who married Ronald Melrose Wigg in 1931. [25]
Edgar Smith Wigg (7 June 1818 – 14 September 1899) was a South Australian bookseller and stationer, founder of the Adelaide firm E. S. Wigg & Son. It still operates under that name as of December 2020 [update], with branches across Australia.
A son of Richard Wigg (c. 1790–1856), of Tunstall, Suffolk, [1] Edgard Smith Wigg commenced work as a bank clerk, at which time he developed a book club for the benefit of his fellow workers. Sensing an opportunity, he opened a bookshop in Warwickshire. He married Fanny Neale Morewood of Atherstone, Warwickshire in September 1846. Their first child, Edward Neale Wigg, was born in 1847 and the family emigrated to the colony of South Australia shortly afterwards leaving on the "William Hyde" on 29 January 1849 [2] and arriving in Port Adelaide in May 1849. [3]
Wigg rented a shop at 4 Rundle Street on 22 June 1849, [3] where he started a business selling books and homeopathic medicine. Over time, he started manufacturing account books and educational materials. [4]
In August 1857 the business moved to larger premises at 12 (later renumbered to 14) Rundle Street. [2] In 1867 (or 1874? [5]) Wigg bought another bookseller's business (Charles Platt) and became the largest bookseller in the colony, within a few years expanding the printing and manufacturing side of the business. [3]
Wigg also opened a pharmacy at 34 King William Street. [2]
In 1871 Edgar's son, Edward, married Janet Davidson, and a couple of years later, William Laidlaw Davidson emigrated to Adelaide and joined the company. [4] In 1874(?) the company opened an office in London. [5] An additional premises, a warehouse, was opened at Apollo Place in the city. [3]
In 1885, Wigg’s daughter Mary married William Davidson, who by this time was managing the running of the business. The company opened branches in Western Australia during this period, and, after E. S. Wigg died in 1899, business expanded further. In 1902 [3] a factory was built on Port Road at Southwark (now Thebarton and still in existence in 2016 [6]).
The company continued to grow, with the head office moving to 65 Grenfell Street in 1921, which housed the retail business until into the 21st century, [3] and was heritage-listed on 1 November 2001. It is now known as Wiggs Building [7] [8] The company continued in the hands of the Davidson family [9] until at least 2014, [10] and is still registered as ES Wigg & Son Pty Ltd. [11] The holding company owns a number of other businesses across the country, some registered as Wigg & Son, some as Wigg Packaging, and some with other names. [12]
Wigg served on Adelaide City Council from 1871 to 1874 and from 1876 to 1880, then retired from business, handing it over to his eldest son E. Neale Wigg and his son-in-law W. L. Davidson.
He maintained a close relationship with the North Adelaide Baptist Church and the Institution for the Blind. [13]
He died in 1899, aged 81. [3] [4]
Two brothers of E. S. Wigg migrated to Australia in the 1850s, as did a widowed sister, who arrived on the maiden voyage of the Clipper Torrens [14] in 1876 and lived in North Adelaide.
With Fanny Neale Wigg (née Morewood) (c. 1823 – 1 April 1853):
In November 1853 he married Alice (sometimes called Ann) Lane (c. 1819 – 13 January 1855) who came from Boscombe, Devon. They had no children. In November 1855 he married Jane Eccles ( – 22 July 1895); they had two boys and four girls:
Their home for many years was at Lefevre Terrace Medindie. He bought the land in 1851 and had a cottage built there. [2]
The book E.S. Wigg and his successors (1992) is the history of the Wigg family. It contains 24 leaves of plates, many coloured. Several of these plates are works by the artist Mary Millicent Wigg (1904-2001), who married Ronald Melrose Wigg in 1931. [25]