Messrs. Dagnall & Tilbury, Rope & Mat Manufacturers
A business which began c.1819; and continued into the beginning of the 20th century in Walham-Green.
Rope Making
From "Seamanship" by Commander George Strong Nares, R.N., 1868
Published by James Griffin & Co., 2, The Hard, Portsmouth
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Attempted Theft of Dagnall Property
1840: Central Criminal Court, Eighth Session; Minutes of Evidence taken in Short-hand by Henry Buckler
New Court - Monday, June the 15th; Fifth Jury, before Mr. Sergeant Arabin - No. 1558:
WILLIAM BARKER was indicted for stealing, on the 21st of May, 6 bed sackings, value 12s., the goods of Charles Dagnall.
John Farmer
I am carman to Mr. Charles Dagnall, a rope and sacking manufacturer. On the 21st of May, I was in Cripplegale with the cart about four o'clock in the afternoon - I went into Mr. Clark's, a worsted dyer, for about four minutes - as I came out a boy said, "There is a man in your cart with a white smock-frock on, taking something" - I ran to the top of Moor-lane, and saw the prisoner with a parcel in a bag - I said, "They are my sackings" - he said, " No, they are not" - I caught him - he threw them down, and got away - I took up the sackings and sung out, "Police" - a policeman came and took him instantly - these are my master's sackings - they were in the prisoner's bag - he said some man round the corner gave them to him.
John Stains (City police-constable, No. 152)
I heard the cry of "Stop thief" - I went to the end of White's-court, and the prisoner was taking off this smock-frock - he saw me, and dropped it, I ran and took him and the frock - he threw his hat off - he said a person gave him the sackings to carry to a court, but he refused to say where it was.
Prisoner's Defence.
William Brown gave them to me to take for him.
GUILTY. (Prisoner had previously been in custody.) Aged 21. - Transported for Seven Years.
Dagnalls at Pentonville Prison
1846: Appendix (D) to Fourth Report of the Commissioner for the Government of the Pentonville Prison.
A Nominal List of all Officers and Servants on the Establishment on 1st January, showing the Department in which Employed, the Nature of their Office, Amount of Salary, and other Emoluments received by each.
Name, Office, Salary per Annum, Other Emoluments:
Manufacturer's Department
- Robert DAGNALL, Mat-weaver's Instructor, £100.0.0
- Samuel DAGNALL, Assistant Mat-weaver's Instructor, £85.16.0
1862: from "The Criminal Prisons of London, and Scenes of Prison Life"
by Henry Mayhew, John Binny
The trades carried on within the "Model Prison," [Pentonville] consist of ... and mat-making, occupations which are pursued principally in the lower wards. ... as we went our rounds with the warder, we found, lying on the asphalte pavement in one of the corridors, two large bright-coloured mats, like hearth-rugs; these were the work, we were told, of the man in the neighbouring cell.
"He's only been four months at mat-making, sir," said the trade-warder to us; "and yet he's very clever at it now - isn't he?" ... "It's astonishing," rejoined our guide, "the quickness that some men display at learning their trades."
The trade-instructor proceeded to spread the rugs out upon the pavement, so that we might see them to better advantage. They were both of a kind of rude velvet pile-work, and the one had a blue ground, with a red and white pattern tastefully worked upon it, while the ground of the other was a chocolate-brown, with red and blue figures. They had been made by the same man, and the trade-instructor, we could see, was not a little proud of his pupil. ... Prisoners who have passed six montlis in the prison, and whoso good conduct entitles them to a badge, will be credited with gratuities according to the following scale, viz.:-
Mat-workers (work equal to) 36 sq. ft. (red bordered): 4d. per week; 45 sq. ft.: 6d per week; 54 sq. ft.: 8d. per week.
... we went to the shop for the associated mat-makers, where the mats that are made in the cells are cut to a uniform length of pile, by means of a shearing-machine that stands in the centre of the room. The three prisoners engaged at this work were, when we entered, busy setting the spiral knives that extend from end to end along the narrow cylinder; and when the cutters were sharp enough a mat was put through and through the machine, whilst one turned the wheel and the others helped to pass the mat in and out the instrument, the air being charged with a cloud of fibres by the time the operation was finished. Here, too, were bundles of coir, and large sheep-shears for clipping the coarser kind of mats.
Dagnall & Tilbury in the Newspapers
1856, January 23
"Morning Advertiser"
WANTED, a Person competent to TEACH the MANUFACTURING of COCOA MATTING and MATS, in a Metropolitan Prison. Apply any morning before 12 o'clock, to Messrs. Dagnall and Tilbury, Manufacturers, Little Chelsea.
1860, June 16
"West Middlesex Advertiser and Family Journal"
Dagnall & Tilbury, Mat and Matting Manufacturers, Farm-lane, Walham-green.
LADS, from 14 years of age, WANTED at the above establishment to learn the business. No premium required.
1862, July 14
"Dundee Advertiser"
JURY AWARDS IN THE INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITION.
Flax and Hemp - Medal.
... Dagnall & Tilbury (UK; no. 3749) - Cocoa and mixed matting. - For general excellence. ...
1867, June 22
"West Middlesex Advertiser and Family Journal" [and other papers]
Messrs. Dagnall & Tilbury
RETURN THANKS to their friends and neighbours for their kind assistance at the fire on their premises, Farm Lane, Walham Green, on the 21st inst. They also thank those friends who have so highly favoured them for the last forty-eight years, and beg to say that as only a portion of their premises are injured, every endeavour will be used to reinstate the same with the utmost dispatch, so that no inconvenience or delay may be occasioned to those who may favour them with their commands.
1867, June 25
"Halesworth Times and East Suffolk Advertiser"
Regarding fires which have taken place within the last few days, the following facts are extracted from Captain Shaw's official report to the Board of Works:- ... at Farm-lane, Walham-green, Fulham, the hemp and flax manufactory carried on by Messrs. Dagnall and Tilbury, sustained damage by a fire breaking out in the devilling room, caused by the friction of machinery ...
1873, Thursday, 15 May
"London Evening Standard"
Mr. Tillbury, mat maker, of Farm-lane, Fulham, has had to lay an information at Hammersmith Police-court against several workmen who had struck in consequence of his employing more than the regulation number of apprentices. They had avenged themselves by annoying a non-society man whom he had employed to teach his new hands. The case was adjourned to allow the men an opportunity of desisting from the offence.
1873, July 10
"Pall Mall Gazette"
William Green, secretary to a Trades' Union Society, was summoned at the Hammersmith police-court for molesting certain men in the employ of Messrs. Dagnall and Tilbury, mat and rope manufacturers, of Walham-green. Some men had been brought up from the country to work at the manufactory, and it was alleged that the defendant had offered them money to return. Mr. Bridge said that in his opinion the defendant had not brought himself within the meaning of the Act. The defendant's solicitor asked for costs. Mr. Bridge said if it had been shown that the object of the proceedings was to destroy the society he would have granted costs, but there was no evidence to that effect. He refused to grant costs and dismissed the summons. Two men named Harry and Charles Knight were summoned for threatening violence to a man in the employ of the complainants. Mr. Bridge bound them over in their own recognizances in the sum of £20 each to keep the peace.