Difference between revisions of "Wiggins, Teape and Co"
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From 1920 up to the beginning of the Second World War the Group expanded rapidly. There were several important acquisitions and merger and it could be said that in this period the pattern for the world-wide ramifications of the Group in the making and selling of paper emerged. | From 1920 up to the beginning of the Second World War the Group expanded rapidly. There were several important acquisitions and merger and it could be said that in this period the pattern for the world-wide ramifications of the Group in the making and selling of paper emerged. | ||
Devon Valley Mill ([[Hele Paper Co]].) Stoneywood and Waterton Mills ([[Alexander Pirie and Sons|Alex Pirie and Sons]]) came into the Group bringing their valuable know-how in paper making with them and along with Alex Pirie's there was acquired the stationery and manufacturing firm of [[Pirie, Appleton and Co|Pirie, Appleton]]. A series of amalgamations for the purpose of extending the merchanting side resulted in the purchase of [[Charles Morgan and Co]]. with it provincial branches; there was a merger with [[Portals (John Allen and Sons)]] mills at Ivybridge, Keighley and St. Neots (the latter being acquired in 1950 by [[Samuel Jones and Co|Samuel Jones]]) and this merger also incorporated Chartham and Roughway ([[W. Howard and Son|Wm. Howard and Sons]]); Polton ([[Annandale and Sons]]) and [[Basted Paper Mills Co|Basted Paper Mills]] were added and then Dartford ( | Devon Valley Mill ([[Hele Paper Co]].) Stoneywood and Waterton Mills ([[Alexander Pirie and Sons|Alex Pirie and Sons]]) came into the Group bringing their valuable know-how in paper making with them and along with Alex Pirie's there was acquired the stationery and manufacturing firm of [[Pirie, Appleton and Co|Pirie, Appleton]]. A series of amalgamations for the purpose of extending the merchanting side resulted in the purchase of [[Charles Morgan and Co]]. with it provincial branches; there was a merger with [[Portals (John Allen and Sons)]] mills at Ivybridge, Keighley and St. Neots (the latter being acquired in 1950 by [[Samuel Jones and Co|Samuel Jones]]) and this merger also incorporated Chartham and Roughway ([[W. Howard and Son|Wm. Howard and Sons]]); Polton ([[Annandale and Sons]]) and [[Basted Paper Mills Co|Basted Paper Mills]] were added and then Dartford (Dartford Paper Mills, at one time the [[Daily Telegraph Mills]]), St. Mary Cray ([[William Joynson and Son|Wm. Joyn on and Son]]) and Hylton ([[Ford Paper Works]]) were absorbed into the Group. Greaseproof Paper Mills were erected on an adjoining site to Dartford. | ||
The overseas developments, in addition to Pirie's representation at Sydney Calcutta and Cape Town included new branches at Melbourne Johannesburg, Durban, Wellington, Auckland, Madras Buenos Aires and Port Elizabeth; and the pre-war period also was an extension of the selling activities in India South America Europe Canada and the Far East. | The overseas developments, in addition to Pirie's representation at Sydney Calcutta and Cape Town included new branches at Melbourne Johannesburg, Durban, Wellington, Auckland, Madras Buenos Aires and Port Elizabeth; and the pre-war period also was an extension of the selling activities in India South America Europe Canada and the Far East. | ||
Latest revision as of 18:10, 17 November 2021
of 10 Aldgate, London, a speciality paper manufacturer and merchant
1761 Company founded originally as Edward and Jones in Aldgate, London, as wholesale stationers.
1799 Agreement between Richard Jones, Thomas Leventhorp and Jeremiah James to form a partnership
1815 Leventhorp and James died. Jones carried on the business by himself for a year
1816 Jones decided that he needed assistance and took on three partners, including Edward Wiggins who had been an employee of the firm from 1799, Samuel Robinson and George Hedley.
1819 Henry Teape became a partner.
1840 Jones left the partnership with Edward Wiggins, Hananaih Teape and Richard Loder, as Jones, Wiggins and Co, of Aldgate[1]. Presumaby the business then became Wiggins, Teape and Loder.
1852 Richard Loder left the partnership of Wiggins, Teape and Loder, wholesale stationers of Aldgate; remaining partners were Edward Wiggins and Hananaih Teape[2]
c1852 The company was known as Wiggins, Teape, Carter and Barlow.
1859 Hananiah Teape left the partnership with John Dowding Carter and Francis William Barlow, carrying on business as Wiggins, Teape and Co[3]
1880 The company started manufacturing its own paper.
1888 Richard Teape left the partnership with Edward Percy Barlow as paper makers and wholesale stationers as Wiggins, Teape and Co[4]
1889 The company bought a mill near Chorley, Lancashire.
1890 The company was registered on 29 May, to carry on the business of wholesale stationers and paper makers. [5]
1899 On 29 May, re-registration took place in connection with an increase of capital.
1914 Paper manufacturers and wholesale stationers. Specialities: high-class machine-made papers, ledger and bank papers and typewriting papers. [6]
Wiggins, Teape and Co and Alexander Pirie and Sons decided to make Britain independent of Continental supplies of photographic paper by erecting a modern mill at Woburn Green in Buckinghamshire.
1919 Became a public company. The company possessed a chain of mills throughout the country, devoted to the manufacture of fine writing papers.
1922 Alexander Pirie and Sons was purchased, forming Wiggins Teape and Alexander Pirie
1930 Acquired Portals (John Allen and Sons) and their associated companies W. Howard and Son and Roughway Paper Mills. The merger did not include Portals Ltd with mills at Laverstoke and Overton[7]
1932 The group consisted of 28 subsidiary companies; the investment in the Italian mill of Portals (John Allen and Sons) was sold[8]
1933 Opened greaseproof paper mills at Dartford to supply greaseproof paper, glazed, transparent and glassine.
1934 See Wiggins, Teape and Co: 1934 Review.
1957 Company name changed.
1961 Ownrf 11 paper mills in UK. Employ 10,700 persons. [9]
1961 British American Tobacco sold Wiggins, Teape some of its overseas paper interests[10]
1962 BAT increased its stake to 30 percent stake of Wiggins, Teape and Co [11]
1966 With Inveresk, Peter Dixon and Son, and Smith and Nephew, set up British Tissues through Associated Tissues, to provide a British source of tissues to compete with the American imports[12]
1970 Wiggins Teape became a wholly owned subsidiary of the British American Tobacco[13].
1973 After 2 of its partners sold their shares to Finnish companies, owned half of Associated Tissues
1980 Sold its share of Associated Tissues to Smith and Nephew
1990 Merged with Appleton Papers Inc, another member of the BAT Industries group and renamed Wiggins Teape Appleton plc. Floated on the London Stock Exchange as publicly quoted group.
1991 Merged with Arjomari Prioux SA of France and renamed Arjo Wiggins Appleton plc.
2000 Became a wholly-owned member of the Worms et Cie SA. group of France
2001 Appleton Papers Inc was bought by its employees and demerged from the Arjo Wiggins Appleton group.
The paper-making businesses now trade as ArjoWiggins whilst the merchanting businesses operate internationally as Antalis, the largest paper merchant in Europe.
The History of Wiggins Teape Group from the Spring/Summer 1966 Quarterly Magazine of Samuel Jones and Co (Vol 44 No.1.)
"... The year 1761 is accepted as the year in which the business of Wiggins Teape began in what was then the partnership of Edwards and Jones, Paper Merchants and Wholesale Stationers at No. 10 Aldgate London and the Group in fact celebrated its Bi-Centenary in 1961. (No. 10 was afterwards 10/11 a famous watermark too - until 1933.)
The oldest existing document relating to the early years however is dated 1799 some months after Nelson's victory of the Nile and this is a signed agreement between Richard Jones, Thomas Leventhorp and Jeremiah James, whose partnership in the business continued until 1815 when Leventhorp and James died. Jones carried on the business by himself for a year but decided that he needed assistance and he took on three partners one of whom was Edward Wiggins who had been an employee of the firm from 1799.
The others were Samuel Robinson and George Hedley. In 1816 therefore the name Wiggins appeared for the first time on the firm's letterheads and three years later the name Henry Teape who was 'King's Printer" appeared as a partner. By 1852 when there was no longer a Jones connected with the firm, the business was being carried on under the title of Wiggins, Teape Carter and Barlow. The Wiggins in the firm was still the same Edward Wiggins, the Teape was Hannaniah, a son of Henry Teape and the others in the partnership were John Dowding Carter and Francis William Barlow.
Edward Wiggins retired in 1856 and three years later Richard Teape a son of Hannaniah had taken his father's place. The firm first became paper makers in 1880, following the purchase of Downton Mill near Salisbury, and within the space often years there was a significant accumulation of mills with names like Chorley Glory and Dover coming into the picture. Then after becoming a private limited company in 1889 Wiggins Teape became a public company in 1919 bearing the title Wiggins Teape and Co. (1919) Ltd.
From 1920 up to the beginning of the Second World War the Group expanded rapidly. There were several important acquisitions and merger and it could be said that in this period the pattern for the world-wide ramifications of the Group in the making and selling of paper emerged.
Devon Valley Mill (Hele Paper Co.) Stoneywood and Waterton Mills (Alex Pirie and Sons) came into the Group bringing their valuable know-how in paper making with them and along with Alex Pirie's there was acquired the stationery and manufacturing firm of Pirie, Appleton. A series of amalgamations for the purpose of extending the merchanting side resulted in the purchase of Charles Morgan and Co. with it provincial branches; there was a merger with Portals (John Allen and Sons) mills at Ivybridge, Keighley and St. Neots (the latter being acquired in 1950 by Samuel Jones) and this merger also incorporated Chartham and Roughway (Wm. Howard and Sons); Polton (Annandale and Sons) and Basted Paper Mills were added and then Dartford (Dartford Paper Mills, at one time the Daily Telegraph Mills), St. Mary Cray (Wm. Joyn on and Son) and Hylton (Ford Paper Works) were absorbed into the Group. Greaseproof Paper Mills were erected on an adjoining site to Dartford.
The overseas developments, in addition to Pirie's representation at Sydney Calcutta and Cape Town included new branches at Melbourne Johannesburg, Durban, Wellington, Auckland, Madras Buenos Aires and Port Elizabeth; and the pre-war period also was an extension of the selling activities in India South America Europe Canada and the Far East.
Following the outbreak of the Second World War, raw material were scarce but the Group by careful planning overcame many difficulties in keeping customers supplied. It had, too, during the London blitz lost a large quantity of paper when one of its warehouses was destroyed by fire.
The Group made four distinctive contribution to the war effort. Glory Mill made all the photographic base paper for air reconnaissance and other photo work; Gateway tracing paper was made at Chartham for use by aircraft and engineering draughtsmen; Stoneywood diverted it paper making activities to manufacturing Churchill tank turrets and at Chadwell Heath products like shell containers and petrol tanks were made.
By the end of the war every mill was in need of a major overhaul and some major replacements of machinery were carried out. A new mill was built at Bridgend in South Wales; the Group extended its business to Dublin; there was a huge amalgamation which brought in Thomas Owen and Co's Ely Mills (Cardiff) and New Bury Mills (Lancashire), and then came the Treforest Mills of British Coated Board and Paper Mills providing the facilities required for the production of NCR (No Carbon Required) paper, and the opening of Sudbrook Paper Mill. In New South Wales, Australia the Group started the Shoalhaven Mill. New branches were formed at Bombay, Karachi, Hong Kong, Perth, Adelaide Bloemfontein, Salisbury, Lagos Kuala Lumpur, Ndola, New York Beirut and Lahore, and the acquisition by Charles Morgan and Co. of Lendrums (Export) Ltd. and associated companies, provided offices in Singapore and Tokyo.
In 1955 the Group acquired Griffith and Diggens Ltd., Waxed Papers Ltd., and British Waxed Wrappings Ltd. and shortly afterwards three others, Aston and Full Ltd., F. S. Flegg and Co. Ltd. and Keighley Paper Mills Ltd. thus extending the Group's activities in the conversion of paper. The Group has a 50 percent interest with Smith and Nephew Ltd., in Associated Tissues Ltd. (the company which runs Bridgend Mill).
In 1961 certain of the Groups paper making interests were merged with those of the British American Tobacco Co. Ltd., and a joint holding company called Millbank Paper Co. Ltd., was formed. To this the Group's contribution was made up of Glory Mill, the W.T. Australian companies (including Shoalhaven Mill), the branches in India, and investments in S.A.P.P.I. The mills originally owned by B.A.T. which came into Millbank comprised Stubbins (Lancashire), Tribeni (India) and Pirahy (Brazil). Witcel S.A.I.C. with its mill at Zarate (Argentina) was transferred to Mill bank and the Group in 1962 acquired a majority of the shares of Papeteries Delcroix S.A. Nivelles, Belgium on behalf of Mill bank. By arrangement with B.A.T. Millbank became a wholly owned subsidiary of the Group in 1963.
Two other companies in which the Group has an interest are Cassio Photographic Paper Co., Watford (jointly owned with Ilford Ltd.), and Jointine Products, Lincoln, the makers of gasket materials."
See Also
Sources of Information
- ↑ The London Gazette 28 February 1840
- ↑ The London Gazette 2 July 1852
- ↑ The London Gazette 23 September 1859
- ↑ The London Gazette 9 November 1888
- ↑ The Stock Exchange Year Book 1908
- ↑ 1914 Whitakers Red Book
- ↑ The Times, Feb 05, 1930
- ↑ The Times, May 12, 1932
- ↑ 1961 Guide to Key British Enterprises
- ↑ The Times May 21, 1970
- ↑ The Times Nov. 17, 1962
- ↑ The Times June 11, 1980
- ↑ The Times June 29, 1970