The house at 28 Oswald Road, now painted white, with one front room extended into a garage (2012)

Charles Knight (son of Saby & Elizabeth) was born in Rushden in 1832, and learned shoemaking. He left the town and at sometime married Elizabeth of Wentworth, Cambridgeshire. They started a family at Arlesey, Bedfordshire, where Charles Herbert and Urban Walter Knight were born, before the family returned to Rushden in the 1880s. In 1891 Walter is living in High Street at "Rose Hill" with his father, Charles aged 58, mother Elizabeth and brother Charles H aged 23, a hairdresser & tobacconist.


Urban Walter Knight was born in 1876, and he married Rose Chettle in 1900, at St Mary's Church. In 1901 he was a shoe manufacturer's clerk living in Oswald Road with his wife and widowed mother. He was living at 28 Oswald Road in 1911, with his wife Rose aged 36, son Frederick H aged 6 and his mother, Elizabeth now aged 72.

Walter was working as a printer at home.

The works opposite on the corner of Denmark Road - was built c1902 & 1910 extension (left) as P Collins' heel factory Occupied by J C Pine (2012) and Tomas Glass (2014)

Walter established his printing business around 1905. When this factory opposite his home became vacant, that perhaps persuaded him to expand, as he took over this property at the corner of Oswald Road and Denmark Road, and he lived oposite, at number 29 Oswald Road.

A Price List has been partially copied showing the range of work he carried out for his customers.

Rose died in 1942 and Walter died in 1951 and they are buried in Rushden cemetery, grave F886. The business continued to trade as Walter Knight Ltd after his death.


The business was acquired by Frank Eady, much later, he having started his own business in Alfred Street in the 1950s. In the 1970s Arthur Frost was the managing director.

Posters for the Ritz by Frank Eady Press

A 1970 letterhead - when A J Frost was managing director	1970s 'Admat' (beermat)

In the 1970s they also did promotional beer mats under the title of 'Admats' for these and many others. Some 1970s Posters for the Ritz Cinema Queens Head Skew Bridge Ski Club J H Oberman Charles Wells - Nags Head Colemans Colin Bryant Collection - Courtesy of Rushden Museum John Coleman took over Charlie Robinson's and later expanded to take the Higham Ferrers Newsagent's too.

In the 1980s the business was taken over by John Coleman.