J.A. Whiting came to the city of Wells with his French bride after being demobbed from the army after the First World War. He met his wife while stationed in Rouen, married her and brought her back with him. He worked as the manager of Barnes & Son and when the owner decided to retire he bought the ironmongery business and set up shop at 68 High Street. His wife did Bed & Breakfast on the premises. At that stage only the area now devoted to china & cookware existed. The next departure was to enlarge the shop to double its size which now houses the decorating, housewares, paint and electrical sections.

In 1980 the decision to enlarge the shop again was taken and the new area now houses the loose ironmongery and tool department.

In 1984 the business saw further expansion to build what is now the gardening and lighting sections. Here you can walk out into Union Street car park at the rear and the customer has access to the High Street at the front of the premises. With a team of twelve helpful staff the present owner tries to cater for all its customer needs, with some coming as far as forty miles on a regular basis. As Wells is a Cathedral city it attracts tourists from all over the world and some find it fascinationg to visit Whiting & Sons, commenting it is like an Aladdin's Cave.