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The Evolution of Global Paper Industry 1800¬–2050 pp 167–190Cite as

The British Paper Industry, 1800–2000

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Part of the book series: World Forests ((WFSE,volume 17))

Abstract

Britain was the first country in the world to enter into the business of mechanised papermaking. It continued in the lead in the field of papermaking until the 1890s, after which the momentum of being the first nation successfully to mechanise the production of paper was gradually lost to some of its major competitors in North America and Continental Europe. The first part of the twentieth century was characterised by industry growth disturbed by the First World War, the economic depression of the early 1930s and the Second World War. The post-Second World War era signified the decline of the role of the Empire as a market and business-making area for British companies and also the decline of the British-owned paper industry itself. British entry into the Common Market in 1973 oriented the British paper industry towards Europe.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    The investigation was conducted in the context of the Academy of Finland research project The rise, fall and re-emergence of business organizations: retrospective and prospective views on forest-based industries (2008–2011). I remain grateful for the Academy and the members of research project for the faith displayed in my research.

  2. 2.

    In Britain, 1 ton equals to 2,240 lb avoirdupois or 20 cwt (about 1,016 kg).

  3. 3.

    In Britain, one hundredweight (cwt) is equal to 112 lb avoirdupois (about 50.8 kg).

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of History and Ethnology, University of Jyväskylä, 35, FI-40014, Jyväskylä, Finland

    Timo Särkkä

Authors
  1. Timo Särkkä
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Correspondence to Timo Särkkä .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. , Department of History and Ethnology, University of Jyväskylä, P.O. Box 35, Jyväskylä, 40014, Finland

    Juha-Antti Lamberg

  2. , Department of History and Ethnology, University of Jyväskylä, P.O. Box 35, Jyväskylä, 40014, Finland

    Jari Ojala

  3. Aalto University School of Science, P.O. Box 11000, Aalto, 00076, Finland

    Mirva Peltoniemi

  4. , Department of History and Ethnology, University of Jyväskylä, P.O. Box 35, Jyväskylä, 40014, Finland

    Timo Särkkä

Appendix A

Appendix A

Table 7.1 Imports and exports of paper and board 1913–1959 (cwt)
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Table 7.2 Imports of raw materials 1913–1949 (tons)
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Table 7.3 Imports of paper and board by country in 1949 and 1959 (cwt and %)
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Table 7.4 Total make of paper and board 1907–1951a (tons and %)
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Table 7.5 Number of establishments 1924–1951a
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Table 7.6 Size of establishments by employment 1935–1951
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Table 7.7 Distribution of mills and employment by standard region 1948 and 1951
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Table 7.8 Number of persons employed in the paper tradea 1907–1951
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Särkkä, T. (2012). The British Paper Industry, 1800–2000. In: Lamberg, JA., Ojala, J., Peltoniemi, M., Särkkä, T. (eds) The Evolution of Global Paper Industry 1800¬–2050. World Forests, vol 17. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-5431-7_7

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