Editing Amersham (section)

== Economy ==
[[File:GE Healthcare Amersham radiopharmaceuticals packaging.jpg|thumb|Packaging radioactive pharmaceuticals at GE Healthcare's facility]]
Early trade at Amersham Market was in local grain, much of which was sold to London [[merchant]]s. During the 17th century and 18th century a key industry in the town was brewing. Giles Watkins (died 1636) built a brewery near St Mary's church in 1634. His brother Henry Watkins was a royal servant, a page of the robes to [[Anne of Denmark]].<ref>Julian Hunt, ''History of Amersham'' (Stroud, 2019), p. 41.</ref> William Weller of [[High Wycombe]] purchased a brewery in 1775. He, and his heirs, expanded the business by buying a number of local [[public house]]s during the next 150 years. In 1929 Gerrard Weller sold the brewery and 133 tied public houses to [[Benskins]] of [[Watford]] for £360,000, a move that led to the end of brewing in Amersham.<ref name="hunt"/>

In addition to brewing, [[Tanning (leather)|tanning]], [[lace]] manufacture and [[brickmaking]] all had a prominent place in the manufacturing past of the town. During the [[Second World War]], the Radiochemical Centre, a scientific research establishment, arrived in the town. This became [[Amersham International]], then [[Amersham plc]], and now, after a number of changes of ownership and name, is part of [[GE Healthcare]].<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20090207114232/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/property/3361042/Britains-richest-towns-10---1.html Britain's richest towns: 10 – 1 ''Telegraph online'' 19 April 2008] Retrieved, 10 July 2009</ref> [[Halma plc|Halma]],  specialists in hazard and life protection products and headquartered in Old Amersham, is now a member of the FTSE 100 index.