UNITED STATES
                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, D.C. 20549

                                    FORM 144

                      NOTICE OF PROPOSED SALE OF SECURITIES
              PURSUANT TO RULE 144 UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

ATTENTION:  Transmit for filing 3 copies of this form  concurrently  with either
placing an order with a broker to execute sale or executing a sale directly with
a market maker


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1(a)  NAME OF ISSUER (Please type or print)

      The Eastern Company
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1(b)  IRS IDENT. NO.                      (c) SEC FILE NO. 

      06-0330020                              0-599
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1(d)  ADDRESS OF ISSUER STREET

      112 Bridge Street
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1(d)  CITY STATE ZIP CODE

      Naugatuck, CT  06770
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1(e)  TELEPHONE

      AREA CODE                           NUMBER
                                           
      203                                 729-2255
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2(a)  NAME OF PERSON FOR WHOSE ACCOUNT THE SECURITIES ARE TO BE SOLD

      Salaried Employees' Retirement Plan of The Eastern Company
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2(b)  IRS IDENT. NO.                      (c) RELATIONSHIP TO ISSUER

      13-6076459                              Employee Benefit Plan of Issuer
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2(d)  ADDRESS STREET

      112 Bridge Street
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2(d)  CITY STATE ZIP CODE Naugatuck CT 06770
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------







INSTRUCTION:  The person filing this notice should  contact the issuer to obtain
              the I.R.S. Identification Number and the SEC File Number.




                                         
3 (a)         (b)                        SEC USE    (c )            (d)           (e)            (f)              (g)
Title of      Name and Address of Each   ONLY       Number of       Aggregate     Number of      Approximate      Name of Each
the Class     Broker Through Whom the    Broker-    Shares or       Market        Shares or      Date of Sale     Securities
of            Securities are to be       Dealer     Other Units     Value         Other Units    (See instr.      Exchange
Securities    Offered to Each Market     File       to be Sold                    Outstanding    3(f))             
to            Maker who is               Number     (See instr.     (See instr.   (See instr.    (MO. DAY YR.)    (See instr.      
be Sold       Acquiring the Securities              3 (c ))         3(d))         3(e))                           3(g))  
                                                                                                                          
----------    ------------------------   ------    -------------    ----------    -----------    ------------     ------------- 
                                                                                            

Common        Jefferies & Company, Inc.               36,000          865,440      3,637,192        7/6/05        American
Stock         11100 Santa Monica Blvd,                                                                            Stock
              11th Floor                                                                                          Exchange
              Los Angeles, CA  90025                                                                                               




INSTRUCTIONS:
1.(a) Name of issuer
  (b) Issuer's I.R.S. Identification Number 
  (c) Issuer'S S.E.C. file number, if any 
  (d) Issuer's address, including zip code 
  (e) Issuer's telephone number, including area code

2.(a) Name of person for whose account the securities are to be sold 
  (b) Such person's I.R.S. identification number, if such person is an entity
  (c) Such person's relationship to the issuer (e.g., officer, director, 10%
      stockholder, or member of immediate family of any of the foregoing)
  (d) Such person's address, including zip code

3.(a) Title of the class of securities to be sold
  (b) Name and address of each broker through whom the securities are intended
      to be sold 
  (c) Number of shares or other units to be sold (if debt securities, give the 
      aggregate face amount) 
  (d) Aggregate market value of the securities to be sold as of a specified date
      within 10 days prior to the filing of this notice
  (e) Number of shares or other units of the class outstanding, or if debit
      securities the face amount thereof outstanding, as shown by the most
      recent report or statement published by the issuer
  (f) Approximate date on which the securities are to be sold
  (g) Name of each securities exchange, if any, on which the securities are
      intended to be sold


POTENTIAL PERSONS WHO ARE TO RESPOND TO THE COLLECTION OF INFORMATION CONTAINED
IN THIS FORM ARE NOT REQUIRED TO RESPOND UNLESS THE FORM DISPLAYS A CURRENTLY
VALID OMB CONTROL NUMBER.






                         TABLE I - SECURITIES TO BE SOLD

Furnish  the  following  information  with  respect  to the  acquisition  of the
securities  to be sold and with respect to the payment of all or any part of the
purchase price or other consideration therefor:




                          Nature of           Name of Person from Whom             Amount of
Title of     Date you     Acquisition         Acquired  (If gift,                  Securities    Date of          Nature of
the Class    Acquired     Transaction         also give date donor acquired)       Acquired      Payment          Payment          
---------    --------     -----------         ------------------------------       --------      -------          -------          
                                             
                                                                                                  
Common       8/5/75       Open Market         Open Market Transaction               36,000       August 1975     Cash at time
Stock          to         Transaction                                               shares       to May 1980     of purchase
             5/19/80



INSTRUCTIONS:

If the securities were purchased and full payment therefore was not made in cash
at the time of purchase, explain in the table or in a note thereto the nature of
the consideration given. If the consideration consisted of any note or other
obligation, or if payment was made in installments describe the arrangement and
state when the note or other obligation was discharged in full or the last
installment paid.


               TABLE II - SECURITIES SOLD DURING THE PAST 3 MONTHS

Furnish the following information as to all securities of the issuer sold during
the past 3 months by the person for whose account the securities are to be sold.




                                                                             Amount of
Name and Address of Seller     Title of Securities Sold      Date of Sale    Securities Sold     Gross Proceeds
--------------------------     -------------------------     ------------    ----------------    --------------
                                                                                        

None




REMARKS:
None

INSTRUCTIONS:

See the definition of "person" in paragraph (a) of Rule 144. Information is to
be given not only as to the person for whose account the securities are to be
sold but also as to sales by all persons whose sales are required by paragraph
(e) of Rule 144 to be aggregated with sales for the account of the person filing
this notice.






ATTENTION:

The person for whose account the securities to which this notice relates are to
sold hereby represents by signing this notice that he does not know any material
adverse information in regard to the current and prospective operations of the
Issuer of the securities to be sold which have not been publicly disclosed.

       7/6/05                             /s/John L. Sullivan III
       -------                            ------------------------
   (DATE OF NOTICE)                            (SIGNATURE)

The notice shall be signed by the person for whose account the securities are to
be sold. At least one copy of the notice shall be manually signed.


Any copies not manually signed shall bear typed or printed signatures.

ATTENTION: Intentional misstatements or omission of facts constitute Federal
           Criminal Violations (See 18 U.S.C. 1001).