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Hewitt & Noble

Hewitt & Noble factory
Hewitt & Noble factory, Glassbrook Road, in the 1890's became Hewitt & Hyde until a fire in 1904
business card
factory and houses
Drawing - the site between Glassbrook and Brookfield Roads. The houses fronting Wellingborough still stand today, and the small building end on in Brookfield Road survives.
Brookfield
Brookfield - 155 Wellingborough Road in 2009, designed by Herbert Adnit for Mr William Hewitt as two houses

In 1889 William Hewitt, originally a shoe retailer from London, arrived in Rushden with his wife, their son William jnr. (W F J Hewitt) and his new wife Ellen, and together they bought into the shoe trade and became partners in the major shoe company Hewitt and Noble. They bought land at the corner of Wellingborough road and built two houses adjacent to the factory in Glassbrook road. 

In 1896 the factory changed its name to Hewitt & Hewitt, and Fred Noble started trading on his own. William Hewitt jun. now concentrated on his enterainment business, and cinemas.

Wellingborough News, 23rd May 1902, transcribed by Kay Collins

Factory Sale – late Hewitt
Important Notice to Boot & Shoe Manufacturers, Investors, and Others.

Two Freehold Villa Residences, a Commodious Boot Factory,
and Building Land, to be Sold by Auction, by

Messrs Coulbreck & Palmer (by order of Mr A C Palmer, the Trustee), at the Coffee Tavern, in Rushden, on Monday 9th June 1902, at Six for Seven o’clock in the Evening, the undermentioned Valuable Freehold Properties, in the following or such other lots as may be decided upon at the time of Sale, and subject to such conditions of sale as will then be produced, viz;-

Lot 1 — All that Modern and Commodious Freehold Boot Factory, containing three floors, with a Large Piece of Eligible Building Land adjoining, situate at the corner of Wellingborough-road and Glassbrook-road, Rushden, containing 1,460 square yards of thereabouts, late in the occupation of Mr W F J Hewitt.

The Factory is exceedingly well-built, and fixed up with crane, 3 offices, engine room, and heated with hot water throughout, and upon the land adjoining is erected a large leather store, built of corrugated iron, also two-stall stable, coach-houses, etc.

Lot 2 — All those Two Well-built Freehold Villa Residences, situate on Wellingborough-road and Brookfield-road, Rushden, one containing eight rooms, the other six rooms, with the usual out-houses and appurtenances thereto belonging, in the occupation of Mr Hewitt, snr., and Mr Hewitt, junr., with conservatory, tennis lawn, garden and rustic summer-house, also at the rear is built a long room used as a billiard room, offices, etc. The whole contains 1,371 square yards or thereabouts. [see picture above]

For further particulars apply to the Trustee, Mr A C Palmer, St Giles Chambers, Northampton; 7 and 8 Railway Approach, London Bridge, St George’s Chambers, Leicester, and Bristol; or to the Auctioneers, Market-square, Wellingborough, and 27 High-street, Kettering; or to us

Messrs Heygate and James,
Solicitors, Wellingborough.

Mr Fred Noble was made bankrupt in 1902, but carried on trading at 63 Moor Road. In 1908 his son Robert took over the business, trading as F Noble, and he employed his father until 1911, when the firm was once again bankrupted.



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