John Dickinson Stationery Limited was a leading British stationery company founded in west Hertfordshire, that was later merged to form Dickinson Robinson Group. In the 19th century, the company pioneered a number of innovations in paper-making.
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The company was founded in Apsley Hertfordshire, in 1804 by John Dickinson, who invented a continuous mechanized paper-making process. Dickinson patented his ideas in 1809 and in the same year he gained financial backing from George Longman. He established paper mills at Apsley (a former flour mill), Nash Mill (formerly a mediaeval corn-mill) in 1811 and Croxley in Hertfordshire. The river and canal at Apsley and Nash Mills provided power for the mills and transport for materials and product.
The mill-house at Nash Mill, called Nash House, became the family home for Dickinson and his new wife Ann (née Grover) whose father Harry Grover supported this business development through his Grover's Bank. In a very few years Nash Mills was renowned for its production of tough thin paper for Samuel Bagster's "Pocket Reference Bible". A major fire in 1813 was a setback, but, being covered by insurance, enabled redevelopment towards large scale production.
During the 19th century, Sir John Evans and his son Lewis Evans (whose elder brother was the archeologist Sir Arthur Evans) both managed the company.
John Dickinson & Co. Ltd had their Engineering Department at Nash Mills until 1888, when it was transferred to Apsley Mill.
By the end of the nineteenth century, Nash Mill, which was small and had a reputation for independence, experienced a drop in profitability. Continuous minor changes were implemented until, in 1926 it underwent improvements with expansion, remodelling and refurbishment.
The Lion brand was adopted as the company logo in 1910 and in the following year (1911), the Basildon Bond brand was established. Companies were then formed in South Africa, Australia, New Zealand and elsewhere (thirteen countries in all).
John Dickinson patented a method of paper-making in June 1807, that rendered his rivals' techniques (principally the Fourdrinier machine) obsolete.
In 1850, the company started mechanical envelope manufacturing, with gummed envelopes for the first time.
The production of fine rag paper on electrically driven machines was a successful innovation at Nash Mill.
The company pioneered the production of window envelopes in 1929.
Dickinson Robinson Group Ltd (DRG) was formed out of E.S. & A Robinson Packaging of Bristol and John Dickinson & Co Ltd. in 1966, creating one of the world's largest stationery and packaging companies. In 1990 the Paper Mills in the group, Nash Mills, Keynsham Paper Mill and Fife Paper Mills were sold to SAPPI of South Africa. These mill were all subsequently closed down by SAPPI as were all other acquisitions ( see Kymmini Oy, Blackburn Mill and Wolvercote Mill) they made in the UK. In 1999, what had been the Stationery Division of the Group was bought by Spicers Ltd andrelocated from Apsley (Hertfordshire) to the village of Sawston south of Cambridge.
The former Apsley Mill site in Hemel Hempstead is home to the Paper Trail, a museum which incorporates a narrowboat ride along the Grand Union Canal and the River Gade to Frogmore Mill, viewing of a working paper machine, producing recycled board and paper, as well as handmade paper making and paper sculpture. The Frogmore Mill exhibits are also open for direct visits.