c.1800 (according to a 1879 report) They were making ploughs at the start of the century[1]
1818 Thomas Perry and Joseph Perry established Katesgrove iron foundry in Reading.
1820 Thomas went bankrupt, leaving Joseph on his own until 1825, when he took George Barrett as his partner. This new firm began to manufacture ploughs to meet a growing demand from the farmers of Berkshire for better, more scientifically designed ploughs.
c.1830 Joseph Perry died; Barrett brought in his nephew, George Allam Barrett and William Exall as partners - Barrett, Exall and Co
1841 The Reading firm won its first award from the Royal Agricultural Society of England for one of its ploughs.
1842 Charles Andrewes was brought into the partnership and the firm became Barrett, Exall and Andrewes.
c.1840 the firm began to make threshing machines and winnowing machines. The first time one was exhibited at the Royal Show was 1843. Thereafter, these machines became one of the most important parts of the company’s production.
1851 At the 1851 Great Exhibition, Barrett, Exall & Andrewes had one of the largest displays of threshing machinery, horse gears and related implements.
1858 George Barrett died; his memorial is made of cast iron.
1864 Expansion of the business necessitated increasing the size of the Katesgrove foundry in Reading, and when the need for further capital reorganization arose, the firm was converted from a partnership into a limited company, the Reading Ironworks Co in 1864