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Herbert Samuel Gates
Wholesale Fruiterer
Mr Gates' warehouse is the first building on the left

Herbert Samuel Gates first advertised in Kelly’s Directory 1914, as a wholesale fruiterer. The business premises were at 208 Wellingborough Road, the family living at 1 Harborough Road.

Herbert was born at Cambridge in 1870 and his wife Jane Storey was born in Leeds the same year. Following their marriage in 1895, their first son Arthur was born in Rushden in 1896 (he later trained as a butcher). Their second son, Herbert, was born in Holloway, London the following year, but soon they had returned to Rushden where their first daughter Laura Hilda was born in 1900, followed by Nellie two years later.

lorry
The delivery lorry being used during wartime

The business continued at least into the late 1950s.


Rushden Echo, 15th September 1916, transcribed by Kay Collins

A Sale of Work on behalf of her Soldiers’ Comforts Fund was arranged by Miss Nellie Gates and was held yesterday in the grounds of Rose Mount, Irchester-road, by permission of Mr and Mrs J Knight. The effort was most successful, and attracted a good number of visitors. The stalls comprised a fancy stall in charge of the Misses Nellie Gates and Connie Selwood, a confectionery stall supervised by Misses Lily Knight and Flossie Sharwood, and a bran pie under the direction of the Misses Gwennie Brightwell and Rene Selwood. Little Miss Gates is to be heartily congratulated on the success of her effort, which was the means of raising £3/3/3. For the past twelve months she has been working very hard making socks, scarves, wallets, etc., for the soldiers at the front. She has 36 men on her list to whom she writes regularly and who thoroughly appreciate her kindness to them, as is shewn by the many letters of thanks she has received. Nellie is not able to attend school like other little girls, being a little invalid, so she is devoting the time she thus has at her disposal to the worthy end above mentioned.



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