GEORGE BROWNS AGRICULTURAL

In 1830, 19 year old George Brown moved 8 miles from Houghton Regis to start a business as a blacksmith in Leighton Buzzard. Nobody knew why George made the move, but his decision led to the foundation opf a business that has been an important part of Leighton Buzzard's commercial scene for the last 175 years. 1841 George purchased the forge he carried out his trade, along with an adjoining buiding in Leck Street, now known as Lake Street. In 1850 he was joined by his son William who was taught the art of manufacturing edge tools like scythes, chisels, hay knives and forks an area George had begun to specialise.

By the end of the 19th century they had installed steam driven machinery, father and son then turned to making farm implements such as ploughs, drills and horse hoes. It was not long before they were selling their farm implements over a 20 mile radius and the young Brown often would be off to Aylesbury Market at 6.00am sharp by horse and trap for a 12 hour day. Ernest Brown became the third generation when he joined the firm in 1903, he developed the farm implement business into semi-mass production, selling over the entire southern half of the country.

He invernted the parallel expanding horse-hoe, which sold in it's thousands, he expanded the range to include Cambridge rollers, push hoes, grain lifters, hay weeps and hay stackers.