Founded in 1778 by Richard Garrett as a bladesmith. By the 1830's the firm started manufacturing Steam Engines.

      GARRETT (RICHARD) & SONS, Ltd., Engineers, Leiston Works, Leiston. Hours of Business: Usual. Established in 1778 by Richard Garrett, the great-grandfather of present directors. Incorporated as a private Limited Company. Shares held by the family. Directors: Frank Garrett, sen. (Chairman), Frank Garrett (jun.), Alfred Garrett, Stephen Garrett and Charles Remy. One of the oldest firms in the trade. In 1840 Richard Garrett & Sons produced their first Portable Steam Engine, which they exhibited at Norwich. In 1806 they built the first Horse-power Threshing Machine. The company were the inventors of the Compound Portable Steam Engine. Premises: Cover between twenty and thirty acres, equipped with complete plant of up to-date tools, hydraulic, pneumatic and electrical power transmission, &c. Staff: 1500 to 2000 hands. Branches: London, St. Stephen's House, Westminster, S.W., and at Sydney, N.S.W. Agencies: In all parts of the world. Specialties: Superheated Steam Semi - Stationary Engines. Have had seventy years' experience in the construction of Steam Boilers, Portable and Semi-Portable Engines (Superheated and Saturated Steam Types), Traction Engines, Road Rollers, Motor Tractors and Motor Wagons, Boilers and Patent Superheaters and Steam Threshing Machinery. Patents: Several hundreds. Awards: More than 500 First Prizes, Grand Prix, Diplomes d' Honneur, &c. Connection: World-wide. Contractors to H.M. Government (Admiralty, War Office, &c.), and to Foreign Governments. Telephone: No. 16 Leiston. Telegraphic Address: " Garrett, Leiston." Codes: A B C (5th Edition), Western Union and Private. Bankers: Lloyds Bank Limited, Lombard Street, London.

Information Sources

• More history and machine information can be found at Grace’s Guide.
• Whitaker's Red Book or Who's Who in Business, 1914 (Courtesy of Grace's Guide)