[1] The first contract that Grissell and Peto won was for the rebuilding of Hungerford Market at Charing Cross in the Strand, London.
Peto replied that if they wished he would fetch his partner, who looked old enough for anything; adding that is his youthful looks were a problem, he would, “take to wearing spectacles, or adopt some other mode of giving myself an appearance of increased age.”[2] Peto wrote: “We have very much to contend with — a large business and circumscribed capital present many discouraging circumstances; but you know we must ‘Press Forward’ (the motto of the Grissell family).
We have made a tender for the Hungerford Market — our amount was £42,400; it was accepted; but we do not feel dismayed, the payments are very good — three-fourths every three months, and two years to complete it in.”[2]The early difficulties of the firm were overcome.
When I was with Mr. Grissell, our ordinary business coming regularly from the large breweries and fire offices, and the work of our own connection with the architects, netted on the average £11,000 to £12,000 a year, and with only £50,000 capital engaged in that department.”[2] Grissell and Peto went on to build many other well-known buildings in London, including the Reform Club, the Oxford & Cambridge Club, the Lyceum, St James's Theatre and Hungerford Market.
In addition, they built Nelson's Column (1843) and the vast infrastructure project of the London Brick Sewer.
During the work on the Houses of Parliament, Grissell and Peto agreed to dissolved their partnership, with the formal break taking place on 2 March 1846.