James Peek died aged 79 at his home in Watcome near Torquay, Devon. After George Frean's son James Frean retired in 1887, his family had nothing more to do with running the business. Peek's nephew Francis Hedley Peek became the first chairman of the now publicly listed company in 1901, but on his death in 1904 again the Peek family had nothing more to do with managing the business. James Carr's family remained actively associated with the business for several more generations.