RICHARD Holladay gave a talk on “Garton and King Ltd” to members of Thorverton History Society at the February meeting.

Garton and King can be traced back to 1661 when John Atken ran an ironmongers shop at the top of Fore Street in Exeter under the sign of the golden hammer. He retired in 1698 and John Southcombe from Chudleigh took on the business.

In 1706 he took on Lewis Portbury as an apprentice and in 1708 he married Southcombe’s niece Elizabeth. Southcombe purchased ironware from Abraham Darby who had produced higher quality iron from a coke furnace at Coalbrookdale using a new process which produced thinner castings that rivalled brass for the manufacture of pots and other hollow ware.

Southcombe died in 1724 and Portbury took over the business. His son, also called Lewis, worked in the business and they sold basket grates, hob grates with a roasting spit, coffee pots, urns, plough shares and agricultural tools.

In 1766 Portbury junior died and the business was sold to a William Britnall who became bankrupt within a year.

Samuel Kingdom took on the business in 1768, opening a warehouse in Theatre Lane (later Waterbeer Street) in 1787 and issuing a halfpenny token in 1792.

After his death in 1797 his widow and sons took on the business trading as Kingdom and Sons. The manufacturing of iron products was increased in a building in Waterbeer Street and the foundry introduced a steam engine to drive the bellows, producing a higher temperature.

Gas lighting was introduced to the premises in 1813 but in 1826 the foundry was destroyed by fire. The insurance payment was £1,500.

By 1849 the business was in the ownership of Ambrose Jarvis and John Garton, trading as Garton and Jarvis. By now the company had specialised in wrought iron works, gates, railings, grates and fenders. They also developed an expertise in greenhouse heating.

In 1851 the company won bronze medal awards at the Great Exhibition for their stoves, and a commendation from Prince Albert who installed one of their cottage stoves in his Model Cottages in Hyde Park, London.

They were now able to use the arms of Royal Appointment. Many of their wrought iron gates and railings were installed around Exeter, including Cathedral Green, the Royal Clarence and Northernhay Park until the Second World War when much of it was removed.

After the death of Ambrose Jarvis, John Gould King from Barnstaple became a partner and the firm continued trading as Garton and King.

Hugo Holladay from Kent joined the company and when John King died in 1900, Edgar Holladay, Hugo’s brother joined the company.

By 1900 the output of the foundry had dwindled but the business survived the First World War and by 1924 was registered as a limited liability company.

In the 1920’s the foundry expanded, producing parts for gas stoves and contract work for small builders and councils.

When Hugo Holladay retired in 1933, the shop at 190 High Street was vacated after 270 years and the Golden Hammer was hung over the Waterbeer Street foundry.

In 1936 Exeter City Council served a compulsory purchase order on the foundry to make way for a new Civic Centre. A new foundry was built in Tan Lane, St Thomas and a showroom opened at Central Station.

The foundry was very active during the 1939 – 45 war and assisted the foundry of Parkin and Sons when they were bombed out.

In 1973 the business was divided into two entities, Garton and King Ltd (Foundry and engineering) and Garton and King Appliances Ltd (Kitchen Appliances and Domestic Engineering).

The foundry eventually closed in 1979. In 1988 Alec Holladay wanted to retire and as none of the family wished to continue in the business an arrangement was made for an employee buy out and Garton and King Appliances Ltd continues to trade.

Robert Turner