Andrew Austin was born at Earls Barton c1860, and came from Wellingborough to Rushden in the late 1880s with his wife Emily and their daughter Amy. The lived in North Street and Andrew was a boot manufacturer. In 1893 the family was living at 19 Moor Road and Andrew was now a shoe ink manufacturer, trading with Mr Bond as Austin & Bond. In 1909 they moved to 39 Church Street where he was now also making polishes and stains and had established a factory in Wellingborough Road, trading as A Austin & Co.

Sometime after the First World War he added soap to the list of products and the company was now titled Andrew Austin (Rushden) Ltd. They traded from a factory in Irchester Road throughout the Second World War.

We note that you have received 56lbs of Carbolic Bar Soap and replying to your specific enquiry we should advise you that to complete your exisitng soap permit up to the 27th April there is a further 86lbs of Bar Soap due to you. We propose to despatch this to you at the end of February and at the same time return the permit to you.