Edward Bach died ninety years ago, yet this is the first publication to explore the story of his ancestry. It challenges the long held assumption that his family name and background were Welsh, revealing instead a far more intricate lineage. The Bachs, for example, moved from farming into emerging trades such as drapery, engineering, and brass founding. In contrast, the fabulously wealthy Tippers lived with such extravagance over several generations that they were eventually reduced to working in the leather industry, before rising again to prominence as politicians, innovative chemists, and pioneering veterinary surgeons. The Tipper grandparents were also notable for their unconventional approach to family life – an influence that may well have shaped Edward Bach’s own attitudes.
These intertwined histories illuminate not only the development of the families themselves, but also the shifting social structures and rapid urbanisation of a region once known as ‘the workshop of the world.’ Read on to discover how hard work, drive, and creative ingenuity in both families helped shape their descendants, including Bach, into remarkable innovators in everything they pursued.