Howardsgate Trust
of Welwyn Garden City
Trust formed by Ebenezer Howard to further his environmental aims, in particular to build Welwyn Garden City[1]
Possibly initially called Welwyn Garden City Ltd[2]
c.1940 Company incorporated (as a public company?).
Owned a department store in Welwyn Garden City and Welwyn Stores (1929) Ltd
1951 Established South Eastern Bakeries Ltd as a subsidiary[3]
1952 Acquired a majority interest in Cresta Silks Ltd[4]
1953 Danesbury Properties Ltd, a subsidiary, decided to sell a large area of land in the northern part of Welwyn Garden City[5]
1954 Sir Theodore Chambers, chairman of Howardsgate Trust, which holds the remaining Welwyn Garden City assets, told shareholders in his annual report that there will be not less than 7s. 6d. a share available for return to them [6]
1954 Trust was liquidated. The assets of the trust were sold to Garfield Weston's ABC Foods[7]; the shares in Cresta Silks were transferred to its managing director, Eric Crabtree[8].