Five Generations of Craftsmen

Founder - Frank Ward

Frank G. Ward

Frank N Ward

Frank Harvey Ward

Family History

Frank Ward was the second youngest of thirteen children born to Henry Ward and Jane Harvey, a printer in Canterbury in Kent. Not much is known about Franks early life, but when he was about twenty-six years old, he moved to Stowmarket and set up in business selling gents, ladies and childrens clothing and footwear in the mid 1870´s. He had a son who was named Frank Graham Ward. Frank Graham married Mabel Earnshaw Chaplin in 1900 (descended indirectly from Charlie Chaplin). They had a son who they named Frank Norman Ward, who continued the retail side of the business on the footwear side with a small workshop behind the premises also where they made and repaired a small amount of footwear. The clothing side of the business was left to other members of the Ward family. Frank Norman Ward married Ruth Railton from Banbury, one of a large family who were also in the shoe trade. They had three children, two of whom stayed in the business.

Commencement of the business as we know it today

Their second son, Frank Harvey Ward, decided to develop the repair side of the business in a commercial way when the company was approached by Clarks of Street, who needed someone in the East to look after repairs to footwear (the problems mainly seemed to be with those of non-traditional construction). Frank Harvey Ward was prepared for the challenge, having spent two years at Northampton College of Technology, together with Saturday morning work at Church´s shoe factory. FRANK HARVEY & CO. was born in 1952.

Frank Harvey Ward subsequently married and had three children, all of whom have spent many years nurturing and developing the business. Garth Ward was to follow in his fathers foot steps by also spending two years at Wellingborough Technical College learning the art of fine english shoemaking. It was during this time that they were again approached by Clarks in relation to the possible purchase of their made-to-measure department, sold under the brand name John Locke. This department was transferred together will all machinery and also the brand name to Stowmarket. It proved an enormous asset to the repair factory and as a result of this, they developed their own styles of bespoke footwear and the business was renamed FRANK HARVEY INTERNATIONAL upon his retirement in July 1992.

Frank Harvey Ward´s youngest son Garth Ward now owns the business and has developed his own range of lasts and clients return time after time for further pairs of bespoke shoes. The company is well respected throughout the industry and is considered by many to be a leader in it´s field repairing top quality brands and working with high street shops and shoe manufacters from the U.K. and Europe. In 2005 the company changed its name to FRANK HARVEY Ltd. The company is still thriving today with a great team of hard working skilled craftsmen (some with over 50 years of experience and service) with skills which have been handed down over five generations.