|
British Xylonite
The British Xylonite Co Ltd was incorporated on 13 June 1877
when it took over the business of Messrs Daniel Spill (qv) H.J. Leigh Bennett
and A.D. Mackay at 124 High Street, Homerton, in London's east end. In the same
year, the Homerton Manufacturing Co Ltd was established next door in 122 High
Street, Homerton, with Mr L.P. Merriam (an American by birth) as Managing
Director and his son C.F. Merriam as Secretary. The object of the latter firm
was to manufacture various articles from the cellulose nitrate sheet (tradename:
XYLONITE) made by the British Xylonite company. In 1879, the two companies were
merged with L.P. Merriam and H.J. Leigh Bennett as joint Managing Directors. On
the latter's retirement in 1884, Merriam became sole Managing Director, a post
he held until his death in 1889.
In its early days, the company had many problems, some of them associated with
poor quality material and changing fashions and for many years no return was
made to shareholders. It was a Mr B.F. Stevens, a friend of Merriam, who came to
the rescue with financial assistance until times changed for the better. One
fashion that was to serve the company well was that of washable collars and
cuffs made from Xylonite. In 1885, a collar factory was started in Holloway,
London. At the same time the Homerton factory was found to be too small for the
growing business (to say nothing of the highly flammable nature of the material
being produced in a residential area) and search began for a site in the
country. In 1887, the 130-acre Brooklands Farm at Brantham,
near Manningtree on the Essex/Suffolk border, was purchased and L.P. Merriam
himself planned the new factory. As there was no accomodation for employees,
the Company built Brantham New Village containing about sixty houses.
By 1895, the Homerton plant producing finished articles from Xylonite was
proving too small and in 1896 the Company bought the 50-acre Jack's Farm in
Hale End, London. Work was started on the new factory and by 1898 production
was in being with a new collar factory to replace the Holloway site completed
by 1900.
|