John Dickinson Stationery facts for kids
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John Dickinson Stationery Limited was a famous English company. It made stationery like paper and envelopes. The company started in southwest Hertfordshire. In the 1800s, it created many new ways to make paper. In 1966, it joined the Dickinson Robinson Group. After some changes, the John Dickinson name stopped being used in 2008.
Contents
The Story of John Dickinson
John Dickinson started his business in London in 1804. He was a stationer, selling paper and writing supplies. But even before that, around 1802, he was trying out new paper-making machines.
Early Inventions
In 1807, John Dickinson got his first patent. This was for a machine that could cut paper. Two years later, in 1809, he patented a new way to make paper. This method used a continuous machine. It was a big step forward!
New Company and Mills
In 1809, John Dickinson got money from George Longman. His family owned the Longman publishing company. They formed a new business called Longman & Dickinson.
Dickinson bought his first paper mill in Apsley, Hertfordshire in 1809. It used to be a flour mill. In 1811, he bought a second mill nearby called Nash Mill. Both mills used water from the River Gade for power. They were also close to the Grand Union Canal. This canal helped transport materials and finished products. Between 1828 and 1830, he built a third mill at Croxley. It was also on the canal.
Nash House, at Nash Mill, became John Dickinson's family home. His wife's father, Harry Grover, helped the business with money. Nash Mills became known for making strong, thin paper. This paper was used for Samuel Bagster's "Pocket Reference Bible." In 1813, a big fire happened. But insurance helped the company rebuild and make even more paper.
Growing the Business
Later in the 1800s, Sir John Evans and his son Lewis Evans helped run the company. In 1886, the company officially became John Dickinson & Co. Limited. It had a capital of £500,000.
Around this time, the company focused more on stationery. Making paper was not as profitable anymore. The Apsley factory was rebuilt. It focused on making envelopes. Paper production moved to the newer Croxley Mill.
John Dickinson & Co. Ltd had its own engineering team at Nash Mills. By 1903, it was mostly a repair shop. Nash Mill was small and had money problems. It was expanded and updated in 1926. In 1910, the company started using the Lion Brand as its logo. The company then opened branches in 13 other countries. These included South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand.
Basildon Bond Stationery
The Basildon Bond brand of stationery started in 1911. It was created by a company called Millington and Sons. The name "Basildon" came from Basildon Park. Some of Millington's directors were staying there. They liked how "Basildon" sounded with "bond" (a type of paper).
John Dickinson bought Millington & Sons in 1918. This meant they also took over the Basildon Bond brand.
Amazing Inventions
John Dickinson's company was very innovative.
- In 1809, he patented a new way to make paper. This made other methods seem old-fashioned.
- In 1850, the company started making envelopes by machine. These were the first envelopes with gum on them.
- Nash Mill successfully made fine paper using electric machines.
- In 1929, the company was a leader in making window envelopes. These envelopes have a clear window to show the address inside.
During World War II
During the Second World War, the company made many paper and cardboard items for the war effort. They also made engineering parts. These included fuel tanks for planes and parts for cannons. They even made special foil strips called Window. The RAF used these strips to confuse enemy radar.
Changes and New Owners
Dickinson Robinson Group
In 1966, the Dickinson Robinson Group Ltd (DRG) was formed. It combined E. S. & A. Robinson Packaging and John Dickinson & Co Ltd. This created one of the world's largest stationery and packaging companies.
What Happened Next
In 1989, a company called Pembridge Investments bought DRG. Pembridge Investments then sold off parts of the Dickinson Robinson Group to other companies:
- In 1990, the paper mills (Nash Mills, Keynsham Paper Mill, and Fife Paper Mills) were sold to Sappi. Sappi later closed these mills.
- Also in 1990, DRG Stationery was bought by Biber Holding AG. It was renamed John Dickinson Stationery. In 1996, it was sold again to Spicers Ltd. The company moved to Sawston. In 2005, a French company, Hamelin Group, bought John Dickinson Stationery. In 2008, it was renamed Hamelin Brands and moved to Red Lodge, Suffolk.
- In 1992, DRG Packaging was bought by Bowater plc (later Rexam).
Frogmore Paper Mill
Just north of the old Apsley Mill site is Frogmore Paper Mill. This mill is very special. It is the world's oldest paper mill that used machines. It was here that Bryan Donkin first showed his paper-making machine.
Today, Frogmore Mill is run by a charity. It is open to visitors. It has a visitor center, a museum, and an art gallery. They still make paper there, both by machine and by hand.
Black n' Red
Black n' Red is a brand of notebooks and pads of paper. They were made by John Dickinson Stationery Limited. These books have a cool black and red design. The covers are black, and "Black n' Red" is written in red. The spine (the side where the pages are joined) is also red.
Now, these books are sold by the Oxford brand, which is part of the Hamelin Group.
