Listing last updated on 21 Jan 2021.

Wokingham, Berkshire
United Kingdom

1951 The Rose Annual
p130. Around the Nurseries.
Sale & Son (Wokingham) Ltd., Wokingham, Berks.
This is an old-established family business, founded in 1818 by Stephen Sale, grandfather of the president Managing Director of the same name. At the age of 19, the first Stephen walked the 32 miles to London to buy his original stock of seeds. These were brought back to Wokingham (then Oakingham) in one of the wide wheeled, four horse wagons, which were then the only means of transport westward across the wild country south of the Thames. During his lifetime, the seed business gradually expanded, and a nursery department just naturally grew up beside it. Fruit trees and Roses have always been the most important lines in the nursery department, but there is, unfortunately, no definite record of the date when Roses were first grown. On the death of the first Stephen in 1881, his youngest son, Philip, took charge and remained at the head of affairs until his death in 1947. Thus father and son between them controlled the business for 129 years! Philip Sale’s eldest son, Stephen, the present chairman and managing director served his apprenticeship to the nursery trade over 40 years ago, first at Messrs. Fromow and Sons, of Windlesham, and then at John Frasers, of Woodford. His fellow directors are his two brothers, John and Oliver, who are chiefly interested in the seed side of the business and Major A. B. Belcher who is chiefly concerned with horticultural appliances and sundries.....