Commerce: Sawmills

DATE: 1901-1981

LEVEL: SubFonds

The commercial records of the Sawmills Department (a department of Dartington Hall Limited) and Dartington Sawmills Ltd relating to its formation, management, development, manufacturing and commercial activities.

Subjects include: the management practices of George Turner (1932-1938), P H Taylor (1938-1940) and Ernest G Clake (1940-1959); production methods; the development and activities of the Carpentry shop and Turnery shop; the manufacturing of products including the Lamda Chair; the processes of seasoning timber; sawmill sales and advertising; personnel; committees; and the formation and liquidation of Dartington Sawmills Ltd.

Material includes: correspondence; minutes including bound minute books for the Sawmill Committee, Sawmills Management Committee and Sawmill Works Council; J V Elmhirst's Estate Book and Diary; reports; memoranda; plans; deeds; leases; photographs; catalogues; price lists; posters; printed leaflets; printed pamphlets; press cuttings; and articles.

In 1932, the Forestry Department was separated into two, Woodlands operating under the Dartington Hall Trust and Sawmills operating under Dartington Hall Ltd as a commercial enterprise under the management of George Turner. The Sawmills Department consisted of the main mill at Shinner's Bridge, two firewood mills at Dartington (Huxhams Cross) and Kingswood, a mill at Clifford Hill, a Carpentry shop producing mainly garden furniture as designed by Rex Gardner and fencing and gates, and a Turnery shop producing mainly table ware.

In 1937, P H Taylor succeeded George Turner as manager. The main problem for the Sawmills Department was the distance from the main markets and the cost of transport. The Sawmills main function therefore was the conversion of low grade timber to satisfy local demand and the demand of the Carpentry and Turnery shops. In 1939 the outbreak of war produced large orders from the Ministry of Supply and war time prosperity to the Sawmills Department. In 1940, P H Taylor joined the Services and was replaced by Ernest G Clake as departmental manager and K Hobbs as mill manager.

In 1946, the manufacturing of all furniture and articles by the Carpentry and Turnery shops was handed over to a newly established Woodworking Department.The Mill was to concentrate on manufactured products, in particular the Lamda Chair. The Lamda Chair was originally designed by architect Robert Hening and artist Hein Heckroth. The suspension was designed and patented by Hiram H Winterbotham who later handed over the patent to Dartington Hall Ltd. A recession in the timber trade in 1952 led to the Carpentry and Turnery shops being taken back from the Woodworking Department.

In 1959, The Dartington Hall Trust went into partnership with F J Reeves and Co to form a a new company, Dartington Sawmills Ltd leasing the Mill properties and equipment from Dartington Hall Limited. In 1981, Dartington Sawmills Ltd went into members' voluntary liquidation.

Information for Researchers

All papers belonging to The Dartington Hall Trust Archive (with the exclusion of Dartington Hall School pupils individual records) are held at the Devon Record Office. All enquiries relating to research should be made to Devon Records Office, Great Moor House, Bittern Road, Sowton, Exeter, Devon EX2 7NL
+44 (0)1392 384253
+44 (0)1392 384256
devrec@devon.gov.uk
www.devon.gov.uk/record_office

The following requests should be made direct to the Archives & Records at The Dartington Hall Trust as shown below:
Copies of images as seen on The Dartington Hall Trust online catalogue with appropriate reference number (Ref No.)
Permission to publish or quote from any document held in the Dartington Hall Trust Archive
Former pupils of Dartington Hall School wishing to view their records
Archives & Records
The Dartington Hall Trust
Dartington Hall
Totnes TQ9 6EL
01803 847200
yvonne.widger@dartington.org

This information is copyright The Dartington Hall Trust