|
|
|  The rapidly growing need for wrapping papers for goods, paper for newspapers, paper for ledgers and account books, and paper for bills and bank notes was fulfilled by the invention of an automated paper machine. Didot financed his papermachine patent in England with the backing of two London stationers, Henry and Sealy Fourdrinier. The Fourdrinier brothers obtained a British Patent in 1801 (No. 2487) and further patents in 1803 (No.2708) and in 1806 (No.2951) for their paper machine. Engineer Brian Donkin of Bemondsey made the first machine, and a second was installed at Frogmore Mills near Hemel Hempstead in 1803. In 1807 the Fourdriniers were granted further patents by a private member's bill in Parliament for an additional 15 years (No. 3068), but they were left bankrupt by 1810 due to law suits.
The nineteenth century also saw the beginning of re-cycling within the industry with patents taken out for the extraction of ink from old paper and of re-pulping. 1800
Alexander Smith's son died at the age of 13, and Stoneywood Mill passed to his nephew Alexander Pirie, son of Patrick Pirie and Margaret Smith. He was older than his uncle and was aged 22 Alexander Pirie converted the mill from brown to white paper and brought in James Reid from Midlothian as the mill manager. James Reid remained at the mill for half a century. Henry Teape, ran a printing company at 8 George Yard, Tower Hill, London, trading as March and Teape 1800-1804 1802
Stoneywood Mill mill produced it's first watermarked paper Pirie 1802. 1804
Henry Teape's printing business traded as Henry Teape from 1804 to 1823. Then as "Teape and Son" from 1824 to 1838, as "Tobias Teape from 1839 to 1841, and as "Henry Teape and son" from 1842 to 1849. | | 1819
Henry Teape became a partner in Edwards and Jones stationers who traded in the Aldgate, London.
| | 1820
 The first paper machine was introduced at Stoneywood Mill using the new fourdrinier technology for a continuous paper web. The head papermaker was Alexander Gill.
A new warehouse was set up next to Alexander Piries town house in the Adelphi, off Union Street, in the centre of Aberdeen. 1827
Edward Wiggins became a partner in the Edwards and Jones stationary firm at the Algate and the stationer Jones, Wiggins and Teape was formed. 1828
A huge water wheel was installed at Piries Woodside Rag Mill in 1828 to provide the power for driving the machinery. Rags for papermaking were "dusted", graded for colour and strength, sorted and cut in the rag room at Woodside Mill. This was one of the largest water wheels in Great Britain, and it was still in use in 1947  when the above drawing by W.A.Aitken was published in the 1947 Stoneywood Mill employee handbook, printed by Messrs. George Robb (Adelphi) Ltd.. The Woodside Mill was closed when papermaking from rags was discontinued. Rags are no longer suitable for papermaking due to synthetic fibres such as nylon or rayon which are not broken down to shorter fibes in the recycling process. However, certain cut rayon or fibrilated synthetic fibes are used in speciality papers made by ArjoWiggins. Woodside Mill was located downstream of Stoneywood Mill, and the ruins of the mill can be found along the public footpath along the south bank of the River Don, close to the Mugiemoss roundabout. Alex Pirie & Sons and 1919 can be seen on the sluice gates.
| | | 1829
Stoneywood Mill which was located on lower ground at "Stoneywood Island" was damaged by a major flood, perhaps an early sign of the potential impact of the industrial revolution upon global warming, and the dangers of building upon flood plains? The mill was subsequently rebuilt on higher ground, but has not escaped floods which occured as recently as 1993 when minor damage to the new coater for casting papers (transfer papers used for leathercloth) was sustained. Francis Pirie joined the firm | | 1834
Foundation of the Arjowiggins L'Aa mill in France 1839
Alexander Pirie's son Alexander joined Stoneywood Mill, and shortly after his younger son Gordon Pirie 1840
 Following the flood of the mills on Stoneywood Island in 1829, the rebuilding of a new mill on higher ground continued with the erection of the current buildings adacent to the current main office.
The Royal Mail introduced the first adhesive postage stamp, the Penny Black, following a reform of the postal service by Sir Rowland Hill. The ink and the postmark could be washed off allowing the stamps to be reused, so the colour was changed from black to red in 1841 to prevent fraudulant use. Wiggins Teape later manufactured watermarked paper and gummed stamp base at Stoneywood Mill and at the Samual Jones mill at St. Neots 
1844
Alexander Pirie had introduced 3 Fourdrinier, or power-driven machines, developed the mill's range of fine papers more than doubling Stoneywood's production capabilities.
1848
WH Smith stationers invented a shadow watermark, but did not patent the process. The use of light and shade shadow watermarks allows papermakers to create portraits and pictures, often used for banknotes or high quality stationary | | | 1850
Stoneywood House was built overlooking the River Don. Designed by James Matthews in a Jacobean style with a 3-arch entrance porch and twin gables. Today it retains unspoilt views across the river to open countryside, and is still owned by ArjoWiggins. The house is now used for entertaining customers, as a training centre and as a hostel for visitors to the mill. 1852
Articles of Partnership were signed by Edward Wiggins, Hannaniali Teape, John Douding Carter and. Francis William Barlow.
 1855
The Piries won Premier Gold Awards in the Exposition Universelle at Paris in 1855. The classification system for Bordeaux wines was introduced at this exhibition dividing the wines into five classes, or crus. There have been only a few minor changes in the subsequent years. These wines may have Grand Cru Classé en 1855 printed on the labels. | | Stoneywood Mill 1857 - Photograph on Display at The Papeterie  1860
Alexander Pirie (senior) died at Waterton House leaving his eldest son Alexander to take charge of the mill. Waterton House still stands in the woodland behind the mill, but it is now offices for the oil industry in Aberdeen. 1861
The paper duty of fourteen guinees per ton and the newspaper stamp duty of 5d per copy were abolished creating the free press and paving the way for increased paper manufacture. The paper duty of fourteen Guinees per ton was also abolished. * *History of Devon Valley Mill by Frank Miller of Devon Valley Mill written upon his retirement in 1936. Preserved by Charles Blackford from 1936 to 1974 and by Neil Milton from 1974 to 2007, together with various other pictures and documents relating to Wiggins Teape
1866
Maps drawn in 1916 refer to a paper mill called Bagrie Mill sited on the Green Burn adjacent to Waterton House. Today, water for the mill is still mainly sourced from the Green Burn which runs past the Rowett Institute at Bucksburn 
1869
The first paper coffin was manufactured in the USA, although the Persians had already been making coffins from paper for hundreds of years. The use of paper for coffin making is a form of Origami, the art of folding paper. 1870
Toilet rolls were invented in the United States.  1874
Employee records are available at the Papeterie for new recruits from 1874 to 1974. New starts joined the mill at the age of 13 years 1875
Alexander Pirie (junior) died, and Gordon became managing director. Alex Pirie products were now sold in most countries around the world. The Piries also won Premier Gold Awards in exhibitions in Paris (1855), Philadelphia (1862) and Sydney (1876). 1880
After 120 years as paper merchants, Wiggins Teape Carter and Barlow stationers diversified to paper manufacture and bought their first paper mill at Downton, near Salisbury, but sold it soon afterwards. 1882
Alex Pirie Limited Company was formed 1888
The Conqueror watermark was founded at Buckland Mill in Dover. The A Pirie & Sons watermark was now common place throughout Britain. In 1888, three letters from the infamous serial murderer Jack the Ripper, and eight of the main suspect, Walter Sickert, all have the watermark of A Piries & Sons. 1889
The partnership of Wiggins,Teape,Carter & Barlow became a private company. The Withnell Fold paper mill at Chorley was bought and the company continued both as both papermakers and merchants. The mill is now closed, but the effluent lagoons remain today, and are an oasis for wildlife 1890
The Conqueror Mill, Buckland Mill, was bought by Wiggins Teape for £20,000. The last paper was made at Dover in 2000 and Buckland Mill was closed. ArjoWiggins now manufacture Conqueror at Stoneywood Mill 1892
 In 1892, Alexander George Pirie joined Stoneywood Mill as the chairman
Further machine houses were built adjacent to the main offices.
| |
The Papeterie, Arjowiggins Fine Papers Ltd., Stoneywood Mill Aberdeen 01224 802337 |
|
|