Five brothers called Leach owned a number of businesses in the Wandsworth area in the last century. Two of them came to Yarmouth and founded Leach Bros. In 1868. They also had a separate establishment in Lowestoft that closed in 1918. They started at 21 Market Place, and also had a branch at 113 King Streetwhich opened about 1875. By 1879 the business was owned by John Leach, who had an oil, colour lamp and paint warehouse, and was a window glass merchant. The King Street premises dealt with the fishing trade, and supplied the vessels with hardware. The King Street shop closed in the 20's. During the period 1890 to 1918 there were also premises in Cobholm, where crates of window glass from Belgium, oil lamp chimneys from the continent, and barrels of oil from America and Russia were stored.The glazing business continued until the 1960's. In the 1970's there was a staff of 18 under the direction of John Leach. His son Robert was joint managing director.
Outside the shop was a clock, that during the war was the only public clock to continue to show the correct time for the duration.
In 1934 alterations were made, and a lead plaque discovered in the roof, bearing the description "This cupola erected by I. (?J) Boulter over the museum A.D. 1802, 30 days after the ratification of the treaty with France. - Howes and Co., Carpenters."
Only nine years after starting in Yarmouth, the brothers had a store at 32 St.Stephen's st., Norwich, and by 1883, a second Norwich shop, in St.Benedicts., where paperhangings and lino could be purchased. In due course there were two shops in St. Benedicts, at no. 88 and no,94, both these shops closed after the second war, but the St.Stephens shop continued.* ref. The Hardware Trade Journal Sept 6th. 1974.