| Administrative History | As James Francis Stevenson (1871-1957) grew up he helped in his father's dyeing and bleaching business, learning the processes and gradually acquiring the knowledge to run and maintain a factory. He later acquired premises on the High Street in Belper, and in 1893 F Stevenson & Company came into being. The Bullbridge site at Ambergate was acquired in 1910 and dyeing and bleaching commenced.
Mr. F M Stevenson, son of James Francis Stevenson, joined his father in 1926, by which time the privately owned company of Stevensons (Dyers) Ltd. was formed, and the dyeing of silk stockings commenced.
During the war years, Stevensons directed their energies to the dyeing and rot proofing of camouflage netting and quality control of rubberized fabrics. It was during this period the shrink resist process known world wide as DYLAN was perfected on wollen Army socks.
In the late 1940s, Stevensons returned to peacetime needs and with the introduction of the new synthetic fibre, nylon, the future looked assured. New amenities were introduced for the benefit of the employees, such as a Sports and Social Club, organising various activities on weekends and evenings. A Works Committee was inaugurated, toghether with a Charity Fund. Each employee donated 1d. per week from their wages and once a year these funds were distributed to children's organisations. In 1949 the first Children's Christmas Party was held and this soon became an annual tradition.
By 1950 the workforce had grown to 400, and at Easter 1951 the first edition of the Company magazine 'The Amberonian' was published. In December 1953, the first gold watches were presented at an informal ceremony in the works canteen to mark eight employees' twenty-one years of service. This was the foundation of the '21 Club'. The club's inaugural dinner was held at the New Bath Hotel, Matlock in April 1956.
The total number of employees had risen to over 900 by 1961. In the following year the new Hose and Half Hose Dyehouse was completed. The 1963 merger with the Nottingham Manufacturing Company proved the greatest change to this formerly family concern, facilitating plant utilisation and offering assurances of greater security and wider opportunity for employment.
Francis Malcolm Stevenson resigned in 1966, leading to a major re-organisation, when Coates Viyella Clothing aquired the company. Mr. A. Thompson became Chairman and Managing Director, with Mr. J. N. Paddison and Mr. A. Winkler becoming Assitant Managing Directors. A further four associate Directors were appointed in 1968.
In 1967 a new Hank Dyeing Machine was installed, further additions to the Transport Fleet were introduced, and construction on the new Effluent Plant began. Although June 1968 saw one of the boilers explode. While no-one was seriously injured, a great deal of damage was caused but production was only held up for a few days.
In 1970 a second subsidary company was formed as Somercotes, named Stevensons (Fabric) Dyers to speciallise in the dyeing and finishing of continuous knitted fabrics. By this time, the company employed more than 1,400 people and was the biggest dyeing company in the country.
After more than 110 years of production, Stevensons Dye Works closed in December 2006. By March 2007 some of the machines had been exported abroad and the scrap merchants had moved in. |
| Custodial History | These records were donated to Derbyshire Record Office in June 2007. |