On 28th September 1784, D. Gurteen & Sons was established when Daniel

Gurteen (1750-1813) a master weaver of Huguenot descent paid £1,000 into the

bank.   He specialised in weaving a material called Drabbett, which was used for

making smocks and worn by the agricultural workers of the time.

The business grew rapidly, and in 1880 at the onset of the industrial revolution,

Daniel Gurteen III invested in mechanisation by installating a magnificent steam

engine that remains in the factory and in pristine condition to this day. The

business expanded into the manufacture of men’s clothing, silk smocks and by 1900 

the company was employing some 2,500 people in and around Haverhill.

This close link between the family and town remains as important as ever.

In WW2 the Gurteen factory, named Chauntry Mills, was fully occupied making

uniforms and clothing with some 1,500 stockists throughout the United Kingdom.

The company developed a strong reputation for good fitting, well made, quality

clothing - and continued to grow from strength to strength.

Today, Gurteen is run by the sixth and seventh generation of the family who share

the excitement and challenges of a 21st century marketplace. With a large private

label business for household names and a branded business with stockists

throughout United Kingdom, the business continues to thrive on its passion –

producing great clothing!