‘JARROLD’S 250 YEARS’

The history of our beloved Jarrold’s dates back to 1770.  Pete Goodrum local writer and broadcaster has written several books on local subjects his latest is ‘Jarrold’s 250 years’.  John Jarrold was born in 1745 he was apprenticed to a retailer in Woodbridge and in 1770 opened his first grocers and drapers shop in the Market place Woodbridge.  John kept a comprehensive notebook in which he wrote things which appealed to him for instance recipes for Indian pickle, black ink, love poems and local happenings.  He wrote ‘Rules to make a good tradesman’, he was ahead of his time. By the time of his death at the age of 30 he had built a successful business which continued until his son John Jarrold II became 21 in 1794.  It seems that John’s widow took the family back to her native Norwich where John II advertised his honourable intentions as a shopkeeper.

In 1811 John II purchased Grove Farm which was a mix of arable and livestock.  In 1815 with the collapse of farm prices John II set up a printing press at the farm with his brother-in-law.  This was dissolved in 1821 leaving John II with the stock and equipment to continue the printing.  In 1823 John II set up as a bookseller, publisher and printer at 3 Cockey Street opposite the present Jarrold’s with his four sons.  In 1840 they moved to the present site and over the years acquired the rest of the building.

New printing works in Little London Street opened in 1860.  Thomas Jarrold was one of the founders of The Norfolk News printed by Jarrold’s which was the forerunner of Archant publishers responsible for the Eastern Daily Press.  John Jarrold II retired in 1844 his son Samuel went on to publish an extensive series, marketed as Norwich Tracts these were circulated around Britain and her colonies in the hundreds of thousands.  The first edition of the famous children’s book Black Beauty by Anna Sewell was published by Jarrold’s in 1878.  By 1888 printing works and shop opened in Great Yarmouth with further stores opening over the next few years.  1911 King George V granted a Royal Warrant for Stationery.  The printing moved to buildings around St. James Mill which is their headquarters.  Between the wars saw the rebuilding of the store and the opening of their restaurant.

In 1965 yet another John Jarrold set up the John Jarrold Trust since it’s establishment it has distributed over £3 million mostly to worthy causes in Norwich and Norfolk.  John Jarrold was appointed Lord Mayor of Norwich in 1970

In 2004 the company purchased the last part of 9-11 London Street linking it to the main store.  In 2005 The company made the decision to concentrate on retail and property selling the printing and publishing arm of Jarrold’s.  Since 2019 Jarrold’s has been responsible for running the Refectory at the Cathedral.

  Jarrold’s remains a privately owned company with family members continuing to be involved.  The Property, business services and training divisions are growing  in and around St. James Mill.  From it’s humble beginnings Jarrold’s has become a giant in Norwich and beyond. We are lucky to be able to enjoy such diversity in a department store long may it continue.

 Jarrolds Department Store in Norwich.