Rushden Research Group: G E Morgan

G E Morgan

Electrical Contractor, 28 Church Street

Geoffrey Edward Morgan had lived in Hayway, before he moved to at 28 Church Street, where he opened an electrical shop, in about 1932. A number of bombs were dropped on Rushden in 1940, and one dropped in Church Street, on Geoff Morgan's house.

He did much of the electrical installation work in and around Rushden, as well as selling electrical goods from the shop. Amplifying arrangements for the 1963 Carnival were by his company.

In 1973 six Rotarians attended a meeting under the guidance of Geoff Morgan, together with 30 interested ‘retired gentlemen’ and they started a Probus Club in Rushden.

Bill Steel, Harry Steel, Geoff Morgan, Dr Greenfield, Mr Capon and Mr Muxlow formed a Swimming Club.

Denis Okins, Don Braybrook, John Colton and Geoff Morgan organised a water polo team.

Geoff Morgan died, aged 87, in 1998.

22-30 Church Street c1912

1943 invoice

1943 invoice on a 1930s heading for fitting dust extractors at Jaques & Clark

Extract from Memories of the Bombs, by Geoff Wheeler of Stonehurst

The luckiest member of the family to be involved was brother Reg, who was in Geoff Morgan's electrical shop in Church Street, when a bomb went through the bathroom window and embedded itself several feet in the ground at the foot of the stairs - and very fortunately did not explode. Reg declares that the bomb passed within a few yards of his head. Mr and Mrs. Morgan were upstairs in a storeroom at the time and were doubtful about coming downstairs with an unexploded bomb there. So Reg fetched a long ladder, put it up to a rear window and Mr and Mrs. Morgan escaped down the ladder.

It was reported later that the Bomb Disposal Squad declared the bomb was manufactured in Czechoslovakia and a piece of cardboard was inserted in the fuse making the bomb useless - sounds good.

invoice heading

1947 invoice heading

Road Saftey practice outside the shop in 1949

30 & 28 Church Street shortly before moving c1973

1967 with new shops in progress - factory in the background
shortly before the Duck Street roundabout was constructed
G E Morgan (electrical) took the shop on left (in about 1973),
with a chip shop centre, and ?

Memories of working for Mr Morgan

Index of All Traders