The Dacorum Heritage Trust
 The history of Berkhamsted, Hemel Hempstead, Kings Langley & Tring

The Pioneers

Nicholas Louis Robert (1761 - 1828) managed a mill for St Leger Didot, near Paris. He designed a paper machine that was patented in France in 1799. This introduced the endless wire process. A working machine was built but never operated commercially.

The Fourdrinier Brothers, Henry (1766 - 1854) and Sealy (1774 - 1847) were stationers based in London. They bought a share in the patent and financed the development of the new machine. Despite its success, the Fourdrinier brothers were bankrupt by 1810. To this day, the machine bears their name.

Bryan Donkin (1768 - 1855) became involved in 1802, when the Robert machine was sent to the engineering works in which he was employed. He took over the project for the Fourdriniers, making his own modifications. Donkin's designs are still the basis for the machine today.

Marchant Warrell was the papermachine man. He served his apprenticeship at Frogmore Mill in hand papermaking. He is said to have tended the machine installed there in 1805 and lived nearby on Box Moor.

Sanguinetti family
Herbert S. Sanguinetti and T. R Tame took over Two Waters Mill in 1888-9 to make seamless barrels from waste paper. They called their business the Universal Barrel Company.

In 1890 Herbert established the British Paper Company at Frogmore Mill. They produced 'middles', a cheaper grade of paper made from recycled waste paper. Cecil H. Sanguinetti succeeded his brother Percy, as Mill Director and in 1918 was confirmed its Managing Director

Roger Wallers, son of Sir Evelyn Wallers, a shareholder and director of the Company from about 1930, took over the running of the Mill in 1950. He played an active role in the British Waste Paper Association. When Cecil died, Roger became Chairman and, in turn, his son Robert became part of the company structure. They proudly celebrated their centenary luncheon at the Stationer's Hall in 1990 with their loyal employees, customers and suppliers.

Longman family
A family of publishers with a long history. Founded by Thomas Longman in the early eighteenth century, they produced classics, such as Johnson's Dictionary and the works of Macaulay, and promoted poets such as Wordsworth and Coleridge. George Longman was the senior partner in the firm of Longman and Dickinson and helped John Dickinson financially. The Longmans intermarried with the Dickinson, Evans and Barlow families and provided the paper industry with several successful practitioners.

John Dickinson (1782-1869)
John Dickinson was apprenticed as a stationer, he was admitted to the Stationers' Company in 1804. Longman and Dickinson bought Apsley and then Nash Mills to manufacture paper. Dickinson patented a machine to cut paper made on a 'Fourdrinier' in 1807 and, in 1809, he devised the important principle of using a vacuum to lay the pulp onto the surface of a rotating, perforated brass cylinder - the Cylinder Mould Machine.

Having registered over 16 patents with a lasting impact on the industry. The company of John Dickinson lasted for nearly 200 years.

 

Sir John Evans FRS, FSA (1823-1908)

John was sent to work for his uncle, John Dickinson, in the accounts office at Nash Mills in May 1840. He became a partner in the business and was well respected as a papermaker and scientist. He was elected a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London in 1852; he was the founder-President of the Paper-Makers Association. He took a prominent part in many local affairs, acting as a JP and as a founding member of Hertfordshire County Council.

 

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