Harry Grant & Sons

The story of Grants is one of a remarkable survival of a stone-working business passing through eight generations of one family. Grants was founded by Joseph Grant, a stone mason who moved to St Marychurch from Broadhempston. Initially, he worked at Petit Tor quarry with Daniel Woodley, but in 1836 he established his own stone polishing workshop.

The business was expanded by his successor Henry Grant. He had been apprenticed under Daniel Woodley and then moved on to stone polishing and jewellery making. In 1847 he joined with his brother Joseph Jnr taking on a freehold plot in Watcombe where they built a house, a workshop and six cottages. Its success soon attracted the Watcombe Terra-cotta Clay Company Ltd to a nearby site. The workshop produced polished fossil specimens, jewellery made from pebbles and a wide range of veneered (termed mosaic) objects made with local stones and malachite.

Grants of Devon Ltd

Harry Grant & Sons workforce in front of the workshop and new showroom c. 1874. The first three standing on the left are William Henry Grant (tallest centre) with his sons on either side (colourised).

The golden age of the business came in the latter half of the 19th century under the third generation, William Henry Grant. William was ambitious and first expanded the workshop with a showroom then adding steam power for belt driven machinery. During this period many of the products were wholesaled to local shops and dealers around Britain. They produced ‘works of art in marble malachite & floral mosaics including writing sets, vases, photo frames, clock cases and mosaic and malachite jewellery’.

In 1880, after the death of one of their best local retailers, Edwin Bradford, Grants established its own direct outlet in the Rotunda in Torwood Street. This relocated to 10 Strand and was managed by William’s two children Harry and Emma Grant.

Grants of Devon Ltd

The interior of Harry Grant & Sons shop at 10 Strand. This remarkable picture from around 1900 shows the huge range of products, many in white onyx along with local pottery (colourised).

In 1913, Grants became a private limited company but the outbreak of World War I impacted all the Torbay marble companies and forced Grants to close their shop and return to manufacturing and wholesaling.

Grants survived by diversifying. As the supplies of local stone declined, they imported more onyx and malachite and acquired the Betjeman Patent, soft closing hinge which was used on a variety of onyx boxes. They gained important contracts to supply high-end London retailers like Asprey with luxury goods.

The 20th century would see Grants open a London office and attend national trade shows. They supplied the marble façade and fireplaces to Queen Mary’s Dolls House in 1924, and a range of small items to the Queen in 1934. Grants was eventually passed to Gregory Halliday, the son of Jessie Grant. Grants of Devon Ltd is now run by Mark and Martin Halliday, the seventh and eight generations to hold the business.

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