Brush Making in Wymondham
Wymondham's Wooden Wares
From the Seventeenth Century, or earlier, Wymondham had a thriving wood-turning and manufacturing industry making spoons, forks, bowls, taps, spindles, spigots and other turnery ware. In fact the town adopted a crossed spooner and spigot for its town arms still seen on the town sign today. Men, women and children worked long hours in their homes producing these hand-made wooden goods.
By the early Nineteenth Century this trade had almost ceased and the cloth industry had taken over as the major source of employment in the town. However some bowl turners continued and one was Robert Semmence of Cock Street.
Robert Semmence was born in 1815 and as a young man started business in a small way as a bowl turner and later founded the firm of Robert Semmence and Sons. His early products were spoons, forks, hand-cups, household bowls and other items, all made from local timber, mainly beech, birch and alder. As demand for these items fell off, the firm turned out brush-backs, scythe handles and other items from the works at Cavick Saw Mills. Some brush backs were even exported to Australia. One of the company's best customers for brush-backs was S D Page & Sons of Norwich.. Robert suggested to S D Page & Sons that there would be benefits if the two companies were closer together and that land in Lady's Lane, Wymondham, near to Cavick Saw Mills was available. In 1888 S D Page & Sons bought land in Lady's Lane to set up a brush factory which opened in 1890, but much to Robert Semmence's disappointment, used this to produce brush-backs for its Norwich brush factory.
There was a serious fire at the Cavick Saw Mills in October 1907
Robert Semmence died in 1893 and his second son, Alfred, carried on the business of Robert Semmence & sons at Cavick Saw Mills. The company now were timber merchants, saw mill proprietors and wood turners. Shortly after the death of his father, the eldest son, George set up his own saw mill and turnery at Poynt House. Some years later George's son Herbert set up a coach building part of the business at Poynt House. In 1917 George Semmence sold the Poynt House Saw Mills to the Co-operative Wholesale Society of Leeds. The sale did not include the coach-building part of the business which continued at the Poynt House site for a further two years. Herbert then moved to a site in Norwich Road which was in the family ownership and had been used for the storage of timber. As the demand for coach-building declined with the increase in motor traffic and H Semmence & Co no longer made tumbrils, governess cars, dog carts or coal trolleys the company moved in to the motor trade. Herbert built a modern garage with petrol pumps and repair shops on the Norwich Road site. Later another site on London Road was developed with garage facilities and petrol pumps run by Herbert's son Gordon.
S D Page & Sons
The origins of S D Page & Sons began with Francis Allen in 1746 in Haymarket, Norwich when he established a basket-making business. After his death in 1762 the business was taken over by Samuel Deyns who greatly extended it to include brush-making as well as basket-making. His grandson, Samuel Deyns Page, took over the business in 1803. In 1831 the company name became S D Page & Son. This was changed in 1860 to be S D Page & Sons and again in 1891 into a limited company, S D Page & Sons Ltd.
Repairs to the chimney at the S D Page & Sons factory in Lady's Lane in 1915
D Matthew & Son
Whilst this company never traded in Wymondham, it is an important part of Wymondham's brush making history as it amalgamated with S D Page & Sons Ltd in 1920 to form the Briton Brush Company Ltd at the S D Page& Sons Ltd factory in Lady's Lane. James Smith started a small business as a brush manufacturer and wood turner in Fish Hill, London in 1773. This was taken over in 1807 by H & J Matthew who moved the business to larger premises in Upper Thames Street, London. The business continued in the Matthew family through John form 18143 to 1823, David and Henry from 1823 to 1842, Matthew Brothers & Borer from 1842 to 1849, David from 1849 to 1870 and D Matthew & Son form 1870 to 1910. In 1910 the firm became a limited company, D Matthew & Son Ltd, and set up a larger brush factory in Tottenham, Middlesex.
The Briton Brush Company Ltd
The Briton Brush Co Ltd, Lady's Lane in 1930
The Briton Brush Company Ltd was set up in 1920 with the amalgamation of S D Page & Sons Ltd of Norwich and Wymondham and D Matthew & Son Ltd of Tottenham, London. For some years the new company continued to operate from all their previous premises with the Wymondham factory concentrating on machine-made brushes while the Tottenham works produced hand-made brushes. From 1933 all the manufacturing operations were carried out in the Wymondham factory.
The railway siding in 1948
Raw materials - wood, bass & fibres - arrive
and finished brushes leave
The Briton Brush Saw Mills making brush handles in 1950
Sand room where brush handles were smoothed in 1950
Nailing machine for fixing brush heads to handles in 1950
The Wymondham works was one of the most up-to-date brush factories in the country with its own railway sidings, saw mills, and engineering workshops. Much of the special machinery for brush-making was designed and made in the engineering workshops on site. The factory took in English trees and other raw materials and produced complete and finished brushware. The company provided many amenities for the welfare and comfort of the men and women who worked in the factory, including a canteen, playing fields and a housing estate. Even works outings by special excursion trains were arranged.
The brush making shop decorated to celebrate the Coronation of George VI in 1937
The Briton Brush Co's annual Summer outing to Skegness in 1935
The railwayman on the track is Bob Allcock
The Briton Chadwick Ltd factory in Lady's Lane in 1982
Around 1980 the Briton Brush Company Ltd became Briton Chadwick Ltd and was sold to the Windmill Brush Company in 1982 before closing in 1985. After closing the factory was pulled down to make way for housing and the estate on the former brush works site has such road names as Briton Way and Page's Way.
Other Brushmakers in Wymondham
Samuel Kidman, a foreman at S D Page & Sons for over 20 years, left the firm in 1919 to set up his own business as wood turner and brush maker at the Vimy Ridge Works off the Norwich Road. Samuel and his son continued in business for some years.
William Carter (3rd from left - back row) with employees and family in 1913
Another former employee of S D Page & Sons, William Carter, left and set up his own brush-making business in Market Street in 1908. In 1913 he moved the business to the former Dove public house in Town Green. At one stage he employed nine assistants making high-quality hand-made brushes. The business continued until after the Second World War.
The Co-operative Wholesale Society
The Co-operative Wholesale Society opened a brush factory and sawmill in Chapel Lane, Wymondham in 1922. It had purchased the 13 acre site in 1917 from George Semmence when it was known as the Poynt House Saw Mills. Initially the Saw Mills supplied brush-backs and other components to the CWS brush factory in Leeds before the brush-making capability was fully established at the Wymondham factory. At its height the CWS brush factory employed 220 people. Its 120ft high chimney and high water tower were local landmarks. As well as making brushes and brooms, the factory also assembled some garden furniture.
The Co-op Brush Factory in 1987 before demolition
The factory closed in January 1983 and was demolished in February 1988. The site was use for housing and the southern part of the re-routed Barnham Broom Road and Banister Way stand on the old factory site. Increasing competition from abroad led to cheaper imports and the demise of the town's brush factories.
The chimney demolition in February 1988
Demolition Day in February 1988
View from Melton Road across the field where houses now stand
as the chimney is demolished
Down comes the water tower.
Acknowledgements: Pictures courtesy Philip Yaxley and others.
The Wymondham Heritage Museum has a permanent Brush Making display
Wymondham's Wooden Wares
From the Seventeenth Century, or earlier, Wymondham had a thriving wood-turning and manufacturing industry making spoons, forks, bowls, taps, spindles, spigots and other turnery ware. In fact the town adopted a crossed spooner and spigot for its town arms still seen on the town sign today. Men, women and children worked long hours in their homes producing these hand-made wooden goods.
By the early Nineteenth Century this trade had almost ceased and the cloth industry had taken over as the major source of employment in the town. However some bowl turners continued and one was Robert Semmence of Cock Street.
Robert Semmence was born in 1815 and as a young man started business in a small way as a bowl turner and later founded the firm of Robert Semmence and Sons. His early products were spoons, forks, hand-cups, household bowls and other items, all made from local timber, mainly beech, birch and alder. As demand for these items fell off, the firm turned out brush-backs, scythe handles and other items from the works at Cavick Saw Mills. Some brush backs were even exported to Australia. One of the company's best customers for brush-backs was S D Page & Sons of Norwich.. Robert suggested to S D Page & Sons that there would be benefits if the two companies were closer together and that land in Lady's Lane, Wymondham, near to Cavick Saw Mills was available. In 1888 S D Page & Sons bought land in Lady's Lane to set up a brush factory which opened in 1890, but much to Robert Semmence's disappointment, used this to produce brush-backs for its Norwich brush factory.
There was a serious fire at the Cavick Saw Mills in October 1907
Robert Semmence died in 1893 and his second son, Alfred, carried on the business of Robert Semmence & sons at Cavick Saw Mills. The company now were timber merchants, saw mill proprietors and wood turners. Shortly after the death of his father, the eldest son, George set up his own saw mill and turnery at Poynt House. Some years later George's son Herbert set up a coach building part of the business at Poynt House. In 1917 George Semmence sold the Poynt House Saw Mills to the Co-operative Wholesale Society of Leeds. The sale did not include the coach-building part of the business which continued at the Poynt House site for a further two years. Herbert then moved to a site in Norwich Road which was in the family ownership and had been used for the storage of timber. As the demand for coach-building declined with the increase in motor traffic and H Semmence & Co no longer made tumbrils, governess cars, dog carts or coal trolleys the company moved in to the motor trade. Herbert built a modern garage with petrol pumps and repair shops on the Norwich Road site. Later another site on London Road was developed with garage facilities and petrol pumps run by Herbert's son Gordon.
S D Page & Sons
The origins of S D Page & Sons began with Francis Allen in 1746 in Haymarket, Norwich when he established a basket-making business. After his death in 1762 the business was taken over by Samuel Deyns who greatly extended it to include brush-making as well as basket-making. His grandson, Samuel Deyns Page, took over the business in 1803. In 1831 the company name became S D Page & Son. This was changed in 1860 to be S D Page & Sons and again in 1891 into a limited company, S D Page & Sons Ltd.
Repairs to the chimney at the S D Page & Sons factory in Lady's Lane in 1915
D Matthew & Son
Whilst this company never traded in Wymondham, it is an important part of Wymondham's brush making history as it amalgamated with S D Page & Sons Ltd in 1920 to form the Briton Brush Company Ltd at the S D Page& Sons Ltd factory in Lady's Lane. James Smith started a small business as a brush manufacturer and wood turner in Fish Hill, London in 1773. This was taken over in 1807 by H & J Matthew who moved the business to larger premises in Upper Thames Street, London. The business continued in the Matthew family through John form 18143 to 1823, David and Henry from 1823 to 1842, Matthew Brothers & Borer from 1842 to 1849, David from 1849 to 1870 and D Matthew & Son form 1870 to 1910. In 1910 the firm became a limited company, D Matthew & Son Ltd, and set up a larger brush factory in Tottenham, Middlesex.
The Briton Brush Company Ltd
The Briton Brush Co Ltd, Lady's Lane in 1930
The Briton Brush Company Ltd was set up in 1920 with the amalgamation of S D Page & Sons Ltd of Norwich and Wymondham and D Matthew & Son Ltd of Tottenham, London. For some years the new company continued to operate from all their previous premises with the Wymondham factory concentrating on machine-made brushes while the Tottenham works produced hand-made brushes. From 1933 all the manufacturing operations were carried out in the Wymondham factory.
The railway siding in 1948
Raw materials - wood, bass & fibres - arrive
and finished brushes leave
The Briton Brush Saw Mills making brush handles in 1950
Sand room where brush handles were smoothed in 1950
Nailing machine for fixing brush heads to handles in 1950
The Wymondham works was one of the most up-to-date brush factories in the country with its own railway sidings, saw mills, and engineering workshops. Much of the special machinery for brush-making was designed and made in the engineering workshops on site. The factory took in English trees and other raw materials and produced complete and finished brushware. The company provided many amenities for the welfare and comfort of the men and women who worked in the factory, including a canteen, playing fields and a housing estate. Even works outings by special excursion trains were arranged.
The brush making shop decorated to celebrate the Coronation of George VI in 1937
The Briton Brush Co's annual Summer outing to Skegness in 1935
The railwayman on the track is Bob Allcock
The Briton Chadwick Ltd factory in Lady's Lane in 1982
Around 1980 the Briton Brush Company Ltd became Briton Chadwick Ltd and was sold to the Windmill Brush Company in 1982 before closing in 1985. After closing the factory was pulled down to make way for housing and the estate on the former brush works site has such road names as Briton Way and Page's Way.
Other Brushmakers in Wymondham
Samuel Kidman, a foreman at S D Page & Sons for over 20 years, left the firm in 1919 to set up his own business as wood turner and brush maker at the Vimy Ridge Works off the Norwich Road. Samuel and his son continued in business for some years.
William Carter (3rd from left - back row) with employees and family in 1913
Another former employee of S D Page & Sons, William Carter, left and set up his own brush-making business in Market Street in 1908. In 1913 he moved the business to the former Dove public house in Town Green. At one stage he employed nine assistants making high-quality hand-made brushes. The business continued until after the Second World War.
The Co-operative Wholesale Society
The Co-operative Wholesale Society opened a brush factory and sawmill in Chapel Lane, Wymondham in 1922. It had purchased the 13 acre site in 1917 from George Semmence when it was known as the Poynt House Saw Mills. Initially the Saw Mills supplied brush-backs and other components to the CWS brush factory in Leeds before the brush-making capability was fully established at the Wymondham factory. At its height the CWS brush factory employed 220 people. Its 120ft high chimney and high water tower were local landmarks. As well as making brushes and brooms, the factory also assembled some garden furniture.
The Co-op Brush Factory in 1987 before demolition
The factory closed in January 1983 and was demolished in February 1988. The site was use for housing and the southern part of the re-routed Barnham Broom Road and Banister Way stand on the old factory site. Increasing competition from abroad led to cheaper imports and the demise of the town's brush factories.
The chimney demolition in February 1988
Demolition Day in February 1988
View from Melton Road across the field where houses now stand
as the chimney is demolished
Down comes the water tower.
Acknowledgements: Pictures courtesy Philip Yaxley and others.
The Wymondham Heritage Museum has a permanent Brush Making display