Company History

Paul Stevens welcomes you to the Stevens family history. The history has been compiled from historic records contained in the family archives. My father Michael Stevens has spent much time researching and collating the historic information which we hope you will find interesting and valuable.

Company History Prior to 1887

"Being at Queenborough Castle in the year 1579 I found there one Mathias Falconer. A Brabander, who did in a furnace that he had erected there, trie to draw very goode brimstone and copperas oute of a certaine stone that is gathered in great plenty upon the shoure near untoe Minster on this Isle". 

Copperas

This extract from Lambard’s "Perambulations of Kent" is the oldest known record of a chemical factory in Britain.

John Stevens was born November 5th 1805 and christened at St. Dunstan's Church Stephaney and was the third son of Elizabeth and William Stevens. From 1830 to 1836 he became a "Mason". His business activities at the time being a contractor. Records show that in 1841 he was a "Night Man" collecting night soil from the street closets of a rapidly expanding London.

John Stevens

In 1843 he also became a Scavenger collecting horse manure. By 1847 he started to manufacture chemical fertilisers by producing Super-phosphate from bones at a factory on the Limehouse Canal. This becoming one of the early processes in the chemical fertiliser business.

In 1860 William Carr Stevens (his son) joined the flourishing organic and inorganic fertiliser business which continued to have its manufacturing base at the Limehouse and they opened offices at 33 Mark Lane and traded together under the name of Stevens Son & Co.

William Carr Stevens

William Carr Stevens joined the business in 1860 and in 1882 purchased the old factory at Queenborough started by Mr. Falconer, at this time known as "Queenborough Chemical and Copperas Works". Mr. Packard, a Sulphuric Acid Manufacturer from Ipswich inspected the site and production plant with William Carr Stevens prior to purchase. Some time later Mr. Edward Packard’s company joined with others to form the company Fisons Prentis and Packard, later to become known as Fisons Ltd.

Old Acid Plant

In the years prior to 1882, the factory was mainly engaged in the manufacture of Sulphuric Acid by a lead Chamber process using crushed pyrites, a convenient source of Sulphur found on the Island.

By the end of 1886, William had inherited the business and was manufacturing a range of organic manures, Super phosphate, Sulphate of Ammonia, Bone Glue, Tallow and Degelatinised bone at his factory at Queenborough.

Thus Sheppy Glue & Chemical Works Ltd. was formed on the first day of January, 1887.

The beginning of Glue Production

A certain William Cotes became the Company’s Glue Production Superintendent, a position he was to hold for very many years. He had a son, Harold, who worked for the Company for a short period in the Glue Department. However, Harold was destined for a much greater career. He was largely instrumental in forming British Glues & Chemicals Ltd., which rapidly became one of the largest producers of Glues and Gelatine in the world, having an international reputation. In later years, he became that Company’s Chairman.

John William Stevens

At the age of 54, William Carr Stevens died in the year of 1890 and his oldest son, John William Stevens, aged only 26, became the Company’s new Chairman.

Fine Bone China

In 1891 a bone calcining plant was built and at a Board Meeting dated 11th August of that same year, it was reported that the Company had secured large orders from the potteries. However production ceased probably before the First World War and the Company thereafter supplied degelatinised bone to the calcining and milling companies situated in the potteries.

New Marsh Works

In 1896 the business had expanded to the extent that it could no longer be operated within the confines of the town works. Therefore, some nineteen acres of land was purchased for the sum of £1,000.00 at Rushenden on the opposite side of Queenborough Creek to the Company’s existing Town Works. The owners at the time were the Royal Hospital of St. Katharine, a Royal Foundation of Nuns, whose original patron was Queen Matilda, wife of King Stephen. They had acquired the land in the year 1392 by grant from John of Gaunt. This is now the site of the Fertiliser Factory.

A wharf was built on this site, having a much deeper berth to handle the larger vessels required by the expanding Fertiliser Department.

The Company purchased several barges for the transportation of the various raw materials and minutes of Board Meetings show the names of two of them were "William Charles" and "Mary Sophia".

Flying on the Isle of Sheppey

Post First World War Boom

Between the years 1917 to 1922, the Company’s activities were extremely profitable and as a result, the capital of the Company was more than doubled. At approximately this time a large addition was made to the main Fertiliser factory by the purchase of two balloon sheds of the R101 or Zeppelin type, which had been built at Eastchurch Airfield during the 1914-18 war.

1920’s RECESSION

Like so many companies the boom was short-lived and in 1923 the slump began and for most of the years until 1932 the Company declared losses. During this very stressful period, John William Stevens died on the 23^rd March, 1929 aged 60; he had been Chairman for 39 years and had remained single all his life. His brother, Francis Hugh Stevens the older of two younger brothers took his place.

Francis Hugh Stevens 

In 1936, the Old Mulch Den for making Super-phosphate was demolished and a new Maxwell Den was installed. This same machine continued to produce Super-phosphatein until 2002. Its original revolutionary method of production together with some up-to-date modifications mean that this plant is run by just one man.

THE SECOND WORLD WAR

During the Second World War, the Company’s products were considered important to the War effort. In August, 1942, the Government formed a company known as Fabon Ltd. Sheppy Glue & Chemical Works Ltd., willingly became members of this government sponsored company for the duration of the war. The Company’s products of Fat, Glue and Degelatinised Bone were sold under the name of Fabon Ltd., to standards of quality set by Fabon. Each member factory supplied those customers closest to them. Thus considerable savings were made in sales and distribution costs. Similar arrangements were made with the raw material collection. One of our local customers for Glue was Bowaters of Sittingbourne who produced Spitfire jettison fuel tanks to enable our fighters to give cover to bombers during raids over Germany. These tanks were constructed by laminating craft paper with glue, making a very rigid construction.

The glue lined the inside of the tank to form an impervious barrier against the petrol escaping and a water resistant lacquer was applied to the outside to prevent the rain from delaminating the glue.

Post War Period

Granular Fertilisers

It was at this time the Company commenced to manufacture Granular Fertilisers as did many of its competitors. Providing fertiliser in this form revolutionised its application to the land, and with the perfection of the product, it quickly gained popularity, spelling the death knell of powered fertiliser sales.

Frank Maurice Stevens 

On 4th April, 1955, Francis Hugh Stevens, Chairman of the Company died aged 84 and his eldest son, Frank Maurice Stevens became Chairman. He had for many years prior to the ageing Chairman’s death been Vice-Chairman and had in this position a large influence on the Company’s affairs since the war.

The Company’s reserves were built to the point where they could be invested in industrial buildings that would provide a rental income and from these small beginnings a new business in property was started. Acid and Glue manufacture was ceased thus enabling the Company to expand its Feeding Meal business and develop modern industrial adhesives.

Fundamental lessons had been learnt operating our first granulation plant and as a result of this experience during the years 1958 and 59 using the Company’s engineering workforce, a new and larger granulation plant was built.

The Company’s policy of replacing parts of the plant as new technology becomes available enables the installation to cope with modern quality requirements and expanding demand.

70's, 80's and 90's

Frank Maurice Stevens died on 6th July, 1980. His two sons, Michael and David Stevens are both Chairmen of the various Companies. Their sons, Paul and Charles, who joined the company in the mid 80's are the 6th generation of the family business since its foundation, recently became joint Managing Directors of the Group.

The company’s main product in these years was Organic Based Fertiliser, marketed under the brand name of SHEPPY HumberPalmers, which sold to Agriculture and Amenity markets in both the UK and for Export. By a unique process which organically complexes the nutrients prior to application, the action of the fertiliser is more "natural" to plants giving a much higher uptake of applied nutrients and provides healthier plants. Phased release of the nutrients brought further environmental benefits.

The company’s agricultural merchanting business, Sheppy Fertilisers Ltd., offers these products to the UK market, together with our own Stevens brand of Seeds and Supagro Foliar Feed and other products used in Agriculture.

Its range of Adhesives meets the modern requirements of the paper converting, box covering and book binding industries.

The company today

The sale of our main business to IAWS of our Organic Based Fertiliser company, marketed under the brand name of SHEPPY HumberPalmers took place in October 2002, The Company IAWS continues to manufacture inorganic compound fertilisers using our methods and formulations.

The manufacturer of Super-phosphate at Queenborough ceased in August 2001 ending a very long history in fertiliser production for our company.

Today the company’s activities are very diverse. Our large portfolio of industrial warehouses, units, shops and offices to-let are now the core of our business. Commercial and Industrial investment, undertaken by Sheppy Industries Ltd., is now an important profit centre. Property development in high-class housing has been a more recent successful enterprise, undertaken by our subsidiary company Montash Ltd.

We are currently building Mock Tudor houses to a very high standard to meet the requirements of their location. 

Sheppy Limited's (the holding company) primary operations are the manufacture of Adhesives for the industrial market ( see our website www.adhesives-sheppy.co.uk for more detailed explanation) and the processing of waste materials for recycling or for the manufacture of base materials used in fertiliser.

Non family members of the Board of Directors, both past and present have made an invaluable contribution to its success. The company’s younger generation executives including members of the sixth generation of the Stevens’ are committed to its future prosperity.

Website administrator: Paul Stevens.