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Southey Works, Keswick
Southey Works
Greta Mill
Street:-   Carding Mill Lane
locality:-   Keswick
civil parish:-   Keswick (formerly Cumberland)
county:-   Cumbria
locality type:-   pencil works
coordinates:-   NY263238
1Km square:-   NY2623
10Km square:-   NY22


photograph
BLT84.jpg (taken 3.4.2006)  
photograph
BRA58.jpg  Box of pencils:-
"Fine Cumberland Drawing Pencils. / JOGARTH &HAYES. / ENGLISH MANUFACTURE. / ..." (taken 9.7.2009)  courtesy of Keswick Museum.

evidence:-   probably old advertisement:- Postlethwaite 1877
item:-  
source data:-   Advertisement, for the Cumberland Pencil Co, Keswick, Cumberland, published by W H Moss and Sons, 13 Lowther Street, Whitehaven, Cumberland, 1877 edn 1913.
image  click to enlarge
PST3A9.jpg
item:-  JandMN : 162.51
Image © see bottom of page

evidence:-   old advertisement:- Philip/Wilson 1890s
placename:-  Southey Hill Pencil Works
item:-  pencil
source data:-   Advertisement from The Concise Series of Guides No.1, The English Lake District, published about 1895.
image  click to enlarge
PW1A23.jpg
Guide book published by George Philip and Son, 32 Fleet Street, London, Philip, Son and Nephew, Liverpool, Lancashire, and Titus Wilson, Kendal, Westmorland, about 1895. 
item:-  JandMN : 58
Image © see bottom of page

evidence:-   old print:- Pearson 1900s
placename:-  Keswick Pencil Works
source data:-   Print, halftone photograph, Pencil Works, Keswick, Cumberland, published by C Arthur Pearson, Henrietta Street, London, 1900s.
image  click to enlarge
PS1E05.jpg
Messrs Hogarth and Hayes, Keswick Pencil Works, Southey Hill, Keswick, in an advertisement in the guide book. 
On p.9 of Pearson's Gossipy Guide to the English Lakes and Neighbouring Districts. 
printed at bottom:-  "PENCIL WORKS, KESWICK. (p.154)."
item:-  Armitt Library : A1188.12
Image © see bottom of page

evidence:-   old advertisement:- Heywood 1906
placename:-  Keswick Pencil Works
source data:-   Advertisement, for Hogarth and Hayes, Keswick Pencil Works, Southey Hill, Keswick, Cumberland, published by Abel Heywood and Son, 56-58 Oldham Street, Manchester, and by Simpkin, Marshall, Hamilton, Kent and Co, Ave Maria Lane, Paternoster Row, London, 1906.
image  click to enlarge
HW1A05.jpg
In a Guide to Keswick and its Vicinity in the Penny Guide Books series. 
item:-  JandMN : 348.20
Image © see bottom of page


photograph
BUI41.jpg (taken 7.4.2011)  
photograph
BUI42.jpg (taken 7.4.2011)  

hearsay:-  
Greta Mills, formerley used for carding and spinning wool, were leased to Richard Hogarth and Robert Hayes of Keswick, 8 March 1875, for 10 years at L60 per annum. They used the premises as a pencil mill. The 5 acres of land were known as Low Mill Banks and Beetholme.
The tenants in 1909 were George Hogarth and H T Pape, making pencils, and George Hogarth bought the 6 acres of land, now known as Low Goat and High Goat, 11 May 1909. The land was sold to Thomas Richard Hayes.
George Hogarth became insolvent. The pencil mill was sold to the firm of Hogarth and Hayes, 11 March 1911. The company directors were Thomas Richard Hayes and Joseph Milburn, George Hogarth company secretary. The company became insolvent and went into voluntary liquidation, 2 August 1912. The premises were purchased by Charles Greenwood, ironmonger, Keswick, 16 November 1912.
The Cumberland Pencil Co was created, 4 March 1916, partners Charles Greenwood, Fred Greenwood and Daniel Crawford Greenwood. They leased the premises from Charles Greenwood at L50 per annum. He bought the land from Herbert Tom Pape, paid off his mortgages, and finally conveyed both mill premises and land to the pencil company, 15 March 1920.
The company property, plant, stock and goodwill were sold to British Pens Ltd, 20 June 1920. British Pens sold Southey Works to the Cumberland Pencil Co, 6 January 1921; and there were various changes in land ownership, including dealings with Cumberland CC regarding bridge building, road improvements and river management, in the 1930s and again in 1963.
This factory is now out of use. The pencils are still made in Cumberland, at Lilyhall, Whitehaven, where a new factory oopened 2008.

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