| The first Richard Garrett moved to Leiston in 1778 to work as a bladesmith at a forge in what was then a small village. He took over the business and he and his son gradually built it up so that it was a thriving concern by the time the third Richard Garrett took over in 1826. By 1830, the works was employing 60 men and making a wide range of agricultural tools and machinery and domestic items. By 1851, Garrett's were employing 300 men, and the village of Leiston had been transformed into a small town. By the end of the century, 1,000 men were employed and 90% of production was going overseas. Times grew harder after the end of the 1914-1918 war, and the business gradually declined until it finally closed in 1980. |
