A HISTORY OF SURREY 



proportion of calf skins from the London markets, 

 constituting about a fourth of the whole supply of 

 the butchers of this vast metropolis. The number 

 of men employed, nearly all in skilful industry, is 

 two hundred and fifty : the steam engine is of 

 20-horse power. In consequence of the great 

 draught of its lofty chimney, 175 feet high, the 

 fiiel chiefly employed is the waste tan-bark, from 

 which the water is squeezed by an hydraulic press 

 of 700 tons. The boiler power is of seventy 

 horses ; and the number of pumps in use, in addi- 

 tion to the supply by tide-streams, is between 

 thirty and forty. There are also two beautiful 

 machines, namely, those for splitting the hides, by 

 separating the softer internal skin (fitted for coach 

 linings, upholstery, police caps, etc.) fi-om the 

 strong, and tough, sole leather : the more delicate 

 British hides are thus rendered as serviceable as 

 those of matured growth from abroad. The skin is 

 placed between cylinders, facing which one sur- 

 face passes under and the other over a continuity 

 of small knives, which, by short incisions, cut them 

 asunder, whilst two or three men preserve the 

 irregularities of the hide from accident by keeping 

 it stretched tight and even. The machine in- 

 vented by Mr. Thomas Hepburn, for cutting 

 leather at the joints for straps to atmospheric rail- 

 way carriages, is very successful, and far superior 

 in result to what can be effected by the nicest 

 manual dexterity. The operations of lime soaking, 

 with those of scraping off the hair, paring the 

 fleshy surface, and equalizing and dressing the 

 leather, require skill and practice. The chemical 

 portion of the work also demands much experience 

 and care. Several improvements have been 

 already made since the abolition of the duty on 

 leather removed the vexatious interference of the 

 excise. The carpentery, smithery, engine, and 

 other works required in this establishment, are all 

 in operation on the premises.' 



At Messrs. Learmouth & Roberts' works 

 the processes of tanning and dyeing were at 

 this period combined, ' both on a scale of first- 

 rate magnitude.' The tanneries of Messrs. 

 Learmouth had thriven for fifty years, when 

 in 1 84 1 a partnership was formed between 

 them and Mr. Roberts, who had previously 

 carried on the business of a dyer in the fields 

 which had occupied most of the then site of 

 the works. Over 290 workmen were then 

 employed here, and the steam-engine power 

 was one 30-horse and a 10, with boiler 

 power of loo-horse. The engines gave mo- 

 tion to three splitting machines for light skins 

 and one for strong hides, to the bark mill, 

 fifteen finishing wheels, and the pumps that 

 supplied the immense quantity of water re- 

 quired ; to lathes, machines for working the 

 skins before tanning, and the rotun machine 

 for cleaning them at the completion of that 



' Brayley and Britton, Hist, of Surrey, v. App. 

 30,31. 



process. The finishing wheels were peculiar 

 to this establishment, and each of them en- 

 abled one man to do as much as five un- 

 assisted by machinery and with better results. 

 The circular blocks that grained and polished 

 the morocco and roan were fixed on the rim 

 of a wheel about 6 or 7 feet in diameter. 

 These revolving caused them to rub the skin 

 repeatedly as every part was presented in turn 

 to its operation. The number of skins of all 

 sorts tanned here amounted to about 350,000 

 yearly, the greater part being calf, sheep, deer 

 and goat skins. Of these the majority had 

 to be dyed and were tanned with sumach, a 

 process which is described as very expeditious 

 and ingenious. ' Each skin being sewn up as 

 a bag, and nearly filled with a warm infusion 

 of the sumach and as much air as will render 

 it buoyant, is tossed about in a vessel contain- 

 ing a similar liquid : thus distended, the skin 

 is from both sides affected by the tannin solu- 

 tion quite through its substance, producing in 

 a few hours the same result that is effected 

 by bark only in six or eight weeks.' The 

 dyeing and finishing departments of this 

 manufactory were particularly interesting, 

 chiefly from the success which had attended 

 the efforts to fix the fugitive tints of archil, 

 from which all the colours from blue to 

 crimson were produced by different mordants. 

 The means used to accomplish this end were 

 a secret in this firm. The firm had also then 

 recently achieved a further triumph by obtain- 

 ing perfect black dye equal to any produced 

 abroad.* 



Of Messrs. Bevingtons' tannery, which 

 was also at this period one of the most im- 

 portant in Bermondsey, we shall shortly have 

 occasion to speak fully. Other important 

 leather works in 1850 were those of Messrs. 

 Hackblock, Brewin, Clarke and Meek. Fran- 

 cis Brewin has already appeared in this account 

 as a patentee of new methods of tanning. 



The amount of business transacted at the 

 Leather Exchange in Bermondsey at the pre- 

 sent day is very great, and the quantity of 

 leather manufactured in the place is still con- 

 siderable. Owing however to alterations in 

 the processes and increased rapidity of con- 

 veyance Bermondsey has become more of an 

 emporium for the sale of goods manufactured 

 elsewhere, and many once important tanneries 

 have been disposed of for other purposes. 

 Most of the leading manufacturers are leather- 

 factors as well.^ But there are still some five 

 and twenty tanners in the district, and a yet 

 greater number carry on the businesses of 



338 



' Ibid. v. App. 32, 33. 

 » E. T. Clarke, Bermondstj, p. 240. 



