44 THE ESSEX FIELD CLUB.
method to Mr. Tucker when he sold the factory. The original recipe was, I
believe, purchased by a Mr. Reding, of Manchester, from a Persian, and
descended from him to Mr. Reding Littler, who brought the industry to
West Ham. Much of the work turned out by these factories was sold in
London as the latest French goods on account of their high merits of design
and execution, although they were solely of Essex manufacture.
The blocks I have sent are as follows: —
(a) Set of three blocks ; pattern a dancing girl; showing the necessary
blocks for over-printing in different colours.
(b) Two square blocks, floral pattern.
(c) One circular block, pattern nearly all in copper.
(d) Border edging block, pattern all in copper; a very fine specimen.
(e) Pear-shaped block, very fine work in copper, with solid parts filled
up with wood.
All the above date back to quite the beginning of the 19th Century, if
not to the 18th.
There are seven zinc blocks, edgings and floral designs, one bent work and
one bar work; these are of more recent date, but do not show such fine design
or workmanship as in the earlier ones.
In the discussion that ensued, the President said that there was much
talk of technical education afforded in these latter days, but in his firm's
works at the City Mills, they had several men formerly employed in these old
print works, and they certainly were remarkably good workmen, showing
that these old factories afforded good manual training, He remembered the
Lea water in its bright days, when people used to drink it unfiltered; indeed
they could get no better water.
Mr. W. Cole said that the waters of the Thames and the Lea must have
been pure enough in the first quarter of the last century, for records of the
occurrence of salmon in the Lea, dating as late as 1833, were known.
Mr. John Spiller, F.C.S., said the silk printing blocks on the table
revived ancient memories, for when a young student at the Royal College of
Chemistry, he made the acquaintance of the late James Kayess, and from
1850 to 1860 often had the privilege of visiting the West Ham Abbey Print
Works, of which his friend was then manager, At that time Messrs. Baker,
Tucker and Co. were proprietors with a branch establishment at Manchester;
but from this immediate locality their operations were eventually banished
by the gradually increasing impurity of the River Lea, and they removed to
the Upper Garrett Works at Tooting. Mr. James Kayess, J.P., died on Good
Friday, 1884, and was buried at Norwood Cemetery. Another well-known
personage in this district was Mr. John Tucker, member of the firm. Pro-
bably the President remembered him as a perfect giant in stature and weight,
whose arm-chair was a remarkable piece of furniture and passed into the
possession of our former member, Mr. W. C. Barnes, of Oak Hall. This
Mr. Tucker was a successful breeder of prize cattle at West Ham Abbey.
Amongst other things the speaker very well remembered the early trials of
mauve and magenta for printing silk handkerchiefs in or about the year 1860,
and possessed specimens given to him before the process became an extinct
Essex industry.
Mr. Littler was thanked for his interesting communication.