A NEW book about a prominent Halstead family has been published.

Halstead history enthusiast Adrian Corder-Birch has penned Slow But Sure about the the Portway family and their industrial interests, mainly in the town.

Charles Portway was initially an ironmonger with a large shop in the High Street and a warehouse in Chapel Street.

In 1877 he patented the cast iron ‘Tortoise’ stove, which became famous worldwide.

The title of the book is a reference to the motto of the original stoves, which were hand-built by Charles Portway to heat his store in Halstead.

Their success led to more than 17,000 stoves being sold in the next 50 years, providing low-cost heating to thousands of people

Two shops opened in the 20th Century following Mr Portway’s death in 1909, Charles Portway and Son and the Tortoise Foundry Company.

The book also includes successor companies, which operated until 2004, and

the prominent parts members of the Portway family have taken in many organisations, including military service and education, in Halstead and further afield.

“The Portway family are good friends, so writing about them and the Tortoise Foundry, which they owned, was an obvious choice,” said Mr Corder-Birch.

“The book took three years to write, including research, sourcing illustrations and arranging the layout.”

Slow But Sure is available from Halstead Heritage Museum and Toy Crazy, priced £14.95.