Part VI
A driving accident in 1901 invalided John Staton, who soon afterwards retired to Bournemouth where he died. Henry Newton acquired the mine and proceeded to make a number of changes. His brother in law, T. Trafford Wynne, a mining engineer of worldwide experience, took charge of the mine, whilst William N. Staton, grandson of the founder continued as general foreman assisted by George Astle, then in the first few years of his half century of service at the mine. About this time came T.P. Eaton, later to be mill foreman at Tutbury for many years, followed by F.W. Robbets and W.C. Johnson, who, on returning from service in the Great War, took over the Potteries Agency until 1951.
The old wooden railway bridge from the mill to Tutbury station was replaced by the present brick and steel structure in 1901: steam locomotives took the place of horses. The second one, a Manning Wardle of 1883 was in service until the 1950’s.
About the turn of the century part of the original cotton mill buildings were occupied by a friend of Henry Newton, Henry Spurrier, for a light engineering business. When he moved he went to Leyland in Lancashire to form the Leyland Steam Boiler Co., the forerunner of the mighty Leyland Motors. A small lathe used by Henry Spurrier was in the mill fitting shop for many years.
An important development took place in 1907 when the Gypsum Mines Ltd. negotiated for the acquisition of Statons, and, as a result, Henry Newton joined the Board of Gypsum Mines Ltd. J.C. Staton, Company continued to function as before and were incorporated as a Limited Company in 1909 with a nominal capital of £2,000. The first Directors were Henry Newton and T. Trafford Wynne, who also acted as Secretary.
Although a Limited Company, the business was still very much a family concern; in 1911, for example, Leigh Hewton became assistant to his father, and Ben Newton, a nephew, took charge of the testing a little while later.
A link with the past was severed in 1912 when the rights to supply gas to Tutbury were sold to the Burton on Trent Corporation. This undertaking had begun during the cotton mill days and carried on by Statons until this time when the gas works, which formed part of the mill premises, were dismantled.
Just before and after the Great War, a source of pride was Staton’s Tug of War team. Captained by the “Jolly Blacksmith”, Tom Smith and over the years containing such stalwarts as Jim Oakey, Charlie Street, ‘Curly’ Hollins, ‘Crash’ Leedham (an unfortunate victim of a fatal accident), Buck Collier, Trevor Allen, Jimmy Harrison, Sam Birch, W. Collington, Alf Smith, Harry Coxon, and George Smith. Ably coached by George Astle with his own particular brand of forceful language many trophies were won.
The Great War took a large part of the firm’s personnel, twelve of whom paid the supreme sacrifice. Of those who returned, twenty nine were present at a party given to them at Fauld Manor.
After the war, Henry Newton placed a commission with Bridgemans of Lichfield for an alabaster altar in memory of his younger son, Lt. Trafford Newton, and his fellow members of the North Staffordshire Regiment who fell in the Battle of the Somme in 1916. Intrinsically and delicately carved from Fauld stone this memorial is a beautiful addition to the South aisle of Tutbury Priory Church.
With servicemen returning, things gradually got back to normal. Ben Newton resigned in 1920, and was succeeded by J.F. Newton, who was appointed Night Manager, a position he held until his untimely death as a result of a motorcycle accident in 1927. G.W. Allen joined the Company as a mining engineer enabling T. Trafford Wynne to take things easier at the Scropton Bank. In 1922 Major Leigh Newton, D.S.O., was appointed Managing Director; Henry Newton stayed as Chairman with undiminished interest as those employed in those days can testify.
New comers to the staff included W.A. Smith, in 1919, who later succeeded F.W. Rabbots as Cashier and completed half a century of service, followed in 1925 by T.L. Coxon and later in the decade by George H. Hewton (grandson of Wiliam Newton, the first manager at Tutbury), and C.W. Balance. It is estimated that during the time of Tutbury Mill about 60 men completed between forty and fifty eight years service with the firm.
The family tradition among employees has always been strong, not being confined to fathers and sons. At the mill at the same time were four Smiths, four Coopers, three Billings, three Bridges and three Becks; and at the mine four Billings, four Flints, three Archers, and three Smiths. One of the last named was originally with Henry Newton’s family at Gnosall. In the late twenties Leslie Smith was put in charge of the turbines and floodgates. For forty years he has combated high water, low water, floods, ice and leaves blocking the grids. At the time of writing he is still in charge but the turbines will not turn again, all shafts and wheels have been torn out.
Restalls Adamantine Plaster was a retarded plaster to which the aggregate in the form of sand was added before sale; a heavyweight variety of the present aggregate plasters. The Hockley firm producing was taken over by Statons who manufactured the product for the Birmingham area between the wars. During this time Pink Plaster was also used in the making of partition blocks by Fred Jones & Company of London and Burton. This firm leased part of the Shobnall works for this operation and required the plaster to be delivered in jute bags, eleven to the ton. Up to the general use of paper sacks in the early thirties many firms insisted on using their own jute sacks weights varying according to the district of 22, 20, 14, 13, 12, 11 and 10 bags to the ton.
In 1924 the old Racquets Court of cotton mill days were utilised to house two new style ovens for the making of Keenes cement. Owing to a decrease in demand for this commodity they were not restarted after the war.
In the middle twenties drilling in the mine by compressed air was commenced although a large part of the stone was mined by hand until ten years later. For hauling purposes diesel locomotives appeared in 1932 to replace horses, the change over being completed by 1939. These locos were among the first diesels to be used underground in this country.
The general strike of 1926 upset the smooth running of the mine and mill but experience of the Coal Strike of 1921 helped avert a stoppage. Existing coal stocks were good and were eked out by using wood, oil, sawdust, and ashes in order to keep producing. It was reported that the woods around the mine mouth were very much thinner by the time that the tramway locomotives were able to use coal again.
The recession, which followed, hit the plaster trade, and for several years short time was the unfamiliar experience of Statons employees.
Despite this the management looked ahead, and in 1928 began to produce a hardwall plaster by rotary kiln. Louis Kemp, a friend of the Newton family, and a Director of the Gypsum Mines Ltd. at Mountfield, took a leading part in the design and erection of the plant in cooperation with Major Newton. For many months Mr. Kemp was constantly at Tutbury until the teething troubles of the new anhydrous plaster, Statite, were overcome.
In the year 1929, there were two illustrations of the disadvantages of water power. Sharp frosts prevailed throughout January, and at one time the mill dam was completely frozen over for a week or more. Salt was freely used on the turbines, but during one night they gradually slowed, and finally stopped. Several days elapsed before it was possible to free them.
Heavy rains fell over a period in November, and a brook feeding the river Dove burst its banks south of Ashbourne. The flood water came overland flooding Hattan, and parts of Tutbury including the mill. Here fires were extinguished by the floods and work brought to a standstill. A wall of water entering from the cricket field prevented any effective action to restrain it; within minutes parts of the mill were under three feet of flood water.
The mill area, the cricket field, and the Weir fields from an island bounded by the main river, the fleam, the mill dam and the tail water from the turbines. The first bridge from the road was opposite the Mill Farm entrance, according to a Bond dated 1785 for the purpose of: - “for all footpeople, Horses, Cattle, and Carriages to pass, and repass at all times”. When the new water wheels were installed in 1829 a new bridge was built about 30 yards down stream. It was a humpback type and, to anticipate the change to road traffic, it was lowered and strengthened again in 1929.
From this bridge in summer the tree lined tail water presents a pleasant sight. The Horse chestnut trees were planted by W.J. Lyon about 1868. Just a hundred years later they were saved from partial destruction to make room for overhead electricity cables by a concerted effort by the people of Tutbury and their friends.
After the Great War, gas lighting in the mill had been supplanted by electricity; the turbines driving the dynamo to provide direct current lighting. Mains electricity was taken for the Statite plant in 1928, the older part being wired for this supply in 1930.
Supplies of broken gypsum stone to the manufacturers of Portland cement begun in the early thirties. By 1962, the weekly tonnage had risen to 4,000 tons.
T. Trafford Wyne was the victim of a road accident in 1931, and died soon after as a result of his injuries. In that year, G.W. Allen was made Company Secretary and appointed to the Board in the following year.
Prior to 1935, Henry Newton had been in poor health for several years, and during October he died. His passing was a severe blow to the firm, and to all who knew him. In over fifty years he had personified Statons; his business acumen and ability together with his forthright manner had built a small local business to what it now was. He had become an almost legendary figure in the district as he moved between Tutbury, Fauld and Scropton, firstly in a pony tub and latterly by motor car. His foresight was uncanny and his attention to detail served the firm and himself in good stead.
Later in the year Major Leigh Newton D.S.O. succeeded his father as Chairman of the Company. |
