William Batty moved to Burton Latimer in 1924 from Lincolnshire. He set up his leather dressing business in Church Street in a set of buildings previously used as maltings by William Battle, the Cranford brewer. He ran his business successfully throughout the Second World War and he died aged 78 in 1961. Read his obituary here. William Batty had been a leading figure in several Burton Latimer organisations, the British Legion, St. John Ambulance, Urban District Council , Bowls Club and Civil Defence. After William's death the business continued until the mid-1970s under his son Leslie M. Batty.

This extract from a 1929 Grantham Journal describes how grateful employees showed their gratitude following a works outing

The tannery suffered a serious fire in 1946 which resulted in the upper storey being reduced in height