Book published by the Surrey Industrial History Group in 2015, 162 pages. Paperback (N7665)
From the rear side cover: James Simmons, master paper-maker of Haslemere in Surrey, kept a diary from 1831 until shortly before his death in 1868. It consisted of thirty-eight booklets most of which are made from paper he had produced himself. They present a fascinating account of his family and business affairs. The references to his paper-making activities form only a part of the diaries and it is these extracts, in the main, which are contained in the book. They provide a significant contribution to the understanding of the life of a paper-maker during a difficult period of the 19th century, illustrating the transition to steam power for converting rags into pulp, at a time when traditional paper makers were being rapidly replaced by papermaking machines. Simmons was also a local landowner who comments on both local and national events, such as the coronation of Queen Victoria and the development of the railway in Haslemere.
The condition of the book is generally very good. The covers are clean and bright, the spine is tight and intact, and all pages are clean, intact, unblemished and tightly bound.