25-08-2017, 09:32 PM
The History of Paper
The History.pdf (Size: 205.17 KB / Downloads: 32)
Paper, as we know it today, had its origins
in China. Traditional Chinese records give
the credit for its development to T’sai Lun
(about 105 AD), who was even defined
as the god of papermakers. Samples in
the British Museum indicate that early
Chinese paper was of a very high quality
and comparable with today’s hand made
rag paper.
Eastern civilisation developed more or
less simultaneously with the civilisations
of the Middle East and of Europe, but
as if in a separate world. This is why
paper, which was in general use in China
nearly 2,000 years ago, was unknown
further west until the capture of Chinese
prisoners by Arabs at Samarkand in
the eighth century. In 793 AD, Chinese
workmen were introduced by Haroun-el-
Raschid to a factory in Baghdad. The next
centre was Damascus; the main source of
supply for Europe for several centuries.
From Damascus, the craft travelled
westwards, by way of Egypt, to Morocco
(around 1110 AD); the Moors introduced
the craft to Europe.
Further progress will be appreciated from
the following table, showing the dates
(doubtful in some cases) of the earliest
mills in various countries.
The earliest reference to England’s first
mill was in a book printed by William
Caxton, around 1490. Its products
were used for an edition of Chaucer’s
Canterbury Tales. This mill belonged to
John Tate and is said to have been near
Stevenage in Hertfordshire. Confirmation
that a “Tate” had a paper mill in 1498 is
provided by an entry in the household
book of Henry VII. In 1588, Sir John
Spielman had a paper mill at Dartford
and was granted special privileges by
Queen Elizabeth for the collection of
rags and other fibrous raw materials.
Research has shown that in the reign
of James VI of Scotland (James I of
England), small mills were established
near Edinburgh. Evidence also exits of a
mill at Cannock Chase in Staffordshire at
this time and by the middle of the 17th
century, several mills apparently existed
in Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and
Surrey.