Rushden Research Group: Blue Plaque 2003 Ladds

Blue Plaques - Ladds

Situated in Heather Court

Evening Telegraph, June 2003

A PLAQUE commemorating a former shoe factory in Rushden has been installed at the place where the factory once stood.

The Benjamin Ladds Shoe Factory stood in Moor Road, Rushden, from 1891 to 1971 and made boots and shoes for men.

At a ceremony on Thursday members of Rushden Civic Amenities Society gathered with friends and family of Mr Ladds to unveil a commemorative blue plaque. It has been placed on the side of a block of flats in Heather Court, which now stands in the factory's place.

Josie Norman, 81, of Prospect Avenue, Irchester, worked for the factory's founder Benjamin Ladds and his descendants Benjamin Hugh Ladds and Hugh Selby Ladds. She said: "The factory used to employ about 70 or 80 people and the family were always very nice people. "A house in Moor Road stands exactly where the door to my office used to be."

Emma Cox, great granddaughter of the founder, was on hand to unveil the plaque. She said: "My father, Hugh Ladds, died last year and we thought we would like to have some way of commemorating him and the family."

IN HONOUR - Clive Wood, left, with Emma Cox, Victoria Hartzman, Rupert Barrett, Josie Norman, Dudley Cox, Jack Hartzman, Julie and Robert Parkin and Madeline Allen

Article by Brian Shelton

They made Boots and Shoes for men. No mention of footwear for Ladies, a curious situation for the world of today.

Like so many of the factories in the town it was a family run concern employing about 75 people and according to records Benjamin’s descendants, Benjamin Hugh Ladds and Hugh Selby Ladds, were on amicable terms with their workforce.

They made three brands of high quality footwear; the best was marketed as “B.L. High Grade Brand” and was well known in the trade for first class workmanship.

The next grade down was the “Flying Alligator”, used for all classes of goods for the export trade, and was considered to be a stamp of reliability by most of the shippers; so presumably this quality of boot and shoe was not available for the British consumer.

The last, and probably the one bought by most people, was the ‘Bell’ brand. An advert stated “this is our reliable medium quality footwear, every pair of which can be recommended and guaranteed.”

The company invited buyers to inspect samples on their premises, or failing that they would send specimens for them to peruse at their leisure. The factory was at 33/35 Moor Road, and stretched back almost to Wellingborough Road.

Blue Plaques