The Devon paper trades: a biographical dictionary
Bradninch
E_EN_DEV_BRADNINCH. Unnamed paper mills active. Sources: Chitty.
E_EN_DEV_Bradninch. BIDGOOD, Abraham. 1843. Paper maker. Son drowned EFP 21/9/1843 3a.
E_EN_DEV_Bradninch. COLLINS. 1860-1869. Paper makers. Hele Mills 1860. Boiler explosion at mills EFP 28/11/1860 5d. Report of works dinner at Hele Mills EFP 6/10/1869 3f.
E_EN_DEV_Bradninch. COLLINS, Charles Robert. 1856. Paper maker. Hele 1856d.
E_EN_DEV_Bradninch. COLLINS, Edward. 1740. Paper maker. Came from Topsham. Converted grist mill for paper manufacture c1740. Sources: Shorter.
E_EN_DEV_Bradninch. COOMBE, Robert. 1778. Paper maker. Sun insurance policy 401197 £100 1778. Sources: Guildhall Lib. ms. 11,936/237
E_EN_DEV_Bradninch. CUMMING, Charles Thomas. 1864. Paper maker. Partnership with William Drew dissolved EFP 5/10/1864 4b.
E_EN_DEV_Bradninch. DEVON VALLEY MILLS. 1987-2014. Paper makers. Hele Mill was bought from Wiggins Teape Ltd by British American Tobacco Co. in 1987 and redesignated the Devon Valley Mill. A new No. 5 machine was designed and installed which expanded the range and volume of products, but success was affected by world market conditions. Several changes of ownership ensued during the rest of the twentieth century until the Comptons Papers acquired it under the Purico (June 2006) Group. The mill under its General Manager, Horst Blum, re-defined and refined the business, concentrating on specialised paper for the food industry such as sausage casings and tea-bags and laminate surfaces, supplying world markets. Website www.devonvalleymill.com checked October 2014.
E_EN_DEV_Bradninch. DEWDNEY and TREMLETT. 1830. Paper makers. Hele Mills 1830d.
E_EN_DEV_Bradninch. DEWDNEY, John I. 1786-1827. Paper maker. Hele Mills 1791d-1811d. Married: EFP 7/10/1802 4c. Died: EFP 7/6/1827 4b. Succeeded Thomas Dewdney on his death 1786. Proprietor of Hele Mill EGL 8/10/1816.
E_EN_DEV_Bradninch. DEWDNEY, John II. 1827-1858. Paper maker. 1844d-1848d; Hele 1845-1852d. Died: killed in train accident at Hele EFP 17/6/1858 3f. Agent for property sale EFP 1/11/1827 1c. Theft from mills EFP 31/1/1833 3b. Wanting men EFP 5/1/1837 2c. Chaired meeting to petition against paper tax EFP 13/2/1845 2g. Elected to corporation EFP 27/11/1845 3a.
E_EN_DEV_Bradninch. DEWDNEY, Thomas. 1750-1814. Paper maker. Possibly son of John. Married: Ann died, widow, aged 86 EFP 30/6/1814 4b, MM Aug. 1814 p.106. Children: daughter married EFP 28/8/1788 3b. Died: 1786. From Newton St. Cyres. Apprenticed to John Godfrey of Crediton 25/4/1750 IR51/24. With William Matthews insured Hele Mills, Sun policy 283916 19/4/1770. Sun insurance policy 386562 £900 1777. Sources: Guildhall Lib. ms 11,936/259. Partnership with William Matthews dissolved 1783, continued to hold mill.
E_EN_DEV_Bradninch. DREW and CUMMING. 1856. Paper makers. Kensham Mills 1856d. See William Drew, Charles Thomas Cumming.
E_EN_DEV_Bradninch. DREW, John. 1850. Papermaker's clerk. Hele Mill 1850d.
E_EN_DEV_Bradninch. DREW, William. 1864. Paper maker. Partnership with Charles Thomas Cumming dissolved EFP 5/10/1864 4b.
E_EN_DEV_Bradninch. HELE MILL. 1762-1987. Paper mills. Active 1762. Insured by William Matthews of Huxham and Thomas Dewdney of Newton St. Cyres Sun policy 283916 19/4/1770. Thomas Dewdney succeeded by John Dewdney on his death 1786. Proprietors Matthews and Martin 1848d. The mill's success culminated with the Dewdney family, who gained a gold medal for the invention of glazed writing-paper at the Great Exhibition of 1851. The company was at the fore-front of technical innovation installing turbine power and newly invented paper machines for continuous paper production, and the discovery of deeper sources of water of the high quality necessary for exceptional quality water-marked paper. This led to them making the paper for bank notes, both at home and for currencies throughout the Empire. In 1920 the family-owned mill was purchased to become part of the Wiggins Teape Ltd paper empire. This continued the high valued output of various papers but was bought out by British American Tobacco Co. in 1987 to then become the Devon Valley Mill. See Collins, Dewdney and Tremlett. Sources: Chitty; Shorter ; www.devonvalleymill.com checked October 2014.
E_EN_DEV_Bradninch. HIGHER KENSHAM MILLS. 1767-1890. Paper mills. Active 1767-1890. Proprietor: John Smith 1811d. Sources: Chitty.
E_EN_DEV_Bradninch. JACOB, William. 1811. Paper maker. 1811d.
E_EN_DEV_Bradninch. KENSHAM MILLS. 1823-1877. Paper mills. For sale EFP 31/7/1823 1b, 24/2/1825 4e. R.Martyn proprietor 1828-30. See also John Matthews 1830d. Report of fatal accident EFP 10/10/1877 7d. See also Higher Kensham, Lower Kensham.
E_EN_DEV_Bradninch. LOWER KENSHAM MILLS. 1767-1891. Paper mills. Active 1767-1891. For sale EFP 6/10/1808 2b. Sources: Chitty.
E_EN_DEV_Bradninch. MANLEY, Abraham. 1777. Paper maker. 1777. Sources: Shorter.
E_EN_DEV_Bradninch. MARTIN, William. 1850. Paper maker. Higher Combe 1850d.
E_EN_DEV_Bradninch. MARTYN, Richard. 1828-1830. Paper maker. Kensham Mills 1828-1830d. Wife died EFP 18/12/1828 2e. See Matthews and Martyn.
E_EN_DEV_Bradninch. MATTHEWS and MARTYN. 1842-1852. Paper makers. 1842d-1852d; Hele 1848d; Kensham and Huxham Mills 1850d. Also at Cullompton 1850d.
E_EN_DEV_Bradninch. MATTHEWS, Charles. 1837-1850. Paper maker. 1850d. Wanting men EFP 5/1/1837 2c. Petitioning against paper tax EFP 13/2/1845 2g. Mills destroyed by fire EFP 1/6/1837 3a. Mayor of Bradninch 1850d.
E_EN_DEV_Bradninch. MATTHEWS, Henry. 1767. Paper maker. Selling his mills EFP 20/11/1767 2b.
E_EN_DEV_Bradninch. MATTHEWS, Humphry. 1767-1781. Paper maker. Married: 1781. Mills in his possession for sale EFP 20/11/1767. Sun insurance policy 388025 £200 3/9/1777. Sources: Shorter; Guildhall Lib. ms 11,936/259.
E_EN_DEV_Bradninch. MATTHEWS, John. 1800-1835. Paper maker. 1811d; Kensham Mills 1830d. Married: Third daughter married EFP 19/3/1835 2f. House and mills destroyed by fire EFP 3/7/1800 3b. Seizure of paper EFP 4/9/1834 3a.
E_EN_DEV_Bradninch. MATTHEWS, William. 1770-1783. Paper maker. From Huxham. Insured Hele Mills with Thomas Dewdney, Sun policy 283916 19/4/1770. Sun policy 386562, £900, 1777. Partnership dissolved 1783. Sources: Shorter; Guildhall Lib. ms 11,936
E_EN_DEV_Bradninch. MEATCH, George. 1771-1791. Paper maker 1771-1791d. Married: 1771. Sources: Shorter.
E_EN_DEV_Bradninch. ROSE, John. 1791. Paper maker. 1791d. Sources: Shorter.
E_EN_DEV_Bradninch. ROSSITER, George. 1791-1808. Paper maker. 1791d-1803. Died: estate being settled EFP 28/7/1808 1c. Household goods for sale EFP 11/8/1808 2c. Sources: Shorter.
E_EN_DEV_Bradninch. SMITH, John. 1791-1823. Paper maker. 1791d-1811d. Proprietor Higher Kensham Mills 1811d. Bankrupt EFP 7/8/1823 1a.
E_EN_DEV_Bradninch. WARREN, Charles. 1767-1770. Paper maker. Hele Mill 1767. Lessee of Hele Mill 1767 and probably 19/4/1770 when mill was insured by William Matthews of Huxham and Thomas Dewdney of Newton St. Cyres qq.v. Sources: Shorter.
E_EN_DEV_Bradninch. WARREN, John. 1791. Paper maker. 1791d. Married: Colyton 1762. Sources: Shorter.
E_EN_DEV_Bradninch. WARREN, Thomas. 1762. Paper maker. Bradninch 1762. Married: Colyton 1762, Newton St. Cyres 1765. Sources: Shorter.
Copyright © Ian Maxted 2014.
This page last revised 10 October 2014.
