In 1863, Joseph Causton and his son, also named Joseph, developed the printing company which was to become the large and well known Joseph Causton and Sons Limited.In 1867 the company was described as being a wholesale stationer and printer with a large warehouse at Southwark Street, London.
Joseph Causton was also a politician. He became a Councillor for Billingsgate, East London in 1868 and Sheriff for London and Middlesex in 1868. The pinnacle of his career came when Queen Victoria opened Blackfriars Bridge and Holborn Viaduct in 1869 and he was knighted at Windsor Castle to mark the event. The company name now became Sir Joseph Causton and Sons Limited. Sir Joseph died just two years later, but his sons, Joseph, Richard, and James, continued as partners of the firm.
The company moved to a large new printing works in Eastleigh, Hampshire in the 1930s. The printing works made labels for household brands including Marmite and Guiness. During The Second World War they printed secret maps for the Government in a specially bricked off part of the building.By the end of the 1960s Sir Joseph Causton and Sons Limited fortunes were in decline. In the mid 1970s the company was losing money but it was not until 1984 that the firm was taken over by Norton Opex. They in turn were acquired by Bowater and Sir Joseph Causton and Sons ceased trading.
The Causton name has survived only as Causton Envelopes Ltd. and Causton Cartons, which is a subsidiary of the Bowater Group, manufacturing cartons for the pharmaceutical industry.
By Mark Matlach
In addition to the overprint shown above, the pattern
RECEIVED
FOR
SIR JOSEPH CAUSTON
AND SONS.
is known on the F22 revenue stamp.
FOR
SIR JOSEPH CAUSTON
AND SONS.
My father worked for Caustons in the 1960's and 70's, indeed I was under the impression that he worked for them until he retired in the ,80's. He was a sales representative worked in the office in Causton St, just over the bridge from Waterloo and sold to Nestles and Wrigley and a frozen food company who made smoked salmon rolls.
ReplyDeleteHis father was a director of Walter and Whitehead - printing company too. I think they may have been bought by Caustons.
Any info welcome and perhaps we can put soome history together.
Barbara
I was employed by Causton Press from 1960-1961 as the Wages Clerk..payroll in cash, weekly, of 300 employees
ReplyDeleteTry explaining that to a modern pay department all done by computer and cheques every two weeks..LOL!
If you want to contact me about my time there
robinfuller@tlb.sympatico.ca
My reason for leaving was due to having had a severe car crash, the stress of the job was too much for me, although I will say the company did all it could at the time to help me out during recovery and upon my return to work..
Hi Robin,
DeleteI was apprenticed at Caustons from 1955 & then nation service 1960 - 1962 returning to Caustons.
I am try to locate a BOOKBINDER the same age as me who was only one of 2/3 persons in that dept. I cannot recall his name but if you can I would be delighted, Regards Bob Tudgee
Can you give me a price for a "June roses" printed and designed by sir Joseph causton and sons for dewrance and co
ReplyDeleteI believe my father worked as a printer for Caustons in the 1930s, firstly at Clapham Road and then at the Eastleigh building, probably until WW2. My grandfather was an envelope cutter at 139 Clapham Road until WW1 and I have a photo postcard he sent to a Miss F.Bevan in the envelope dept while he was a POW in Germany, sent 8th April 1915
ReplyDeleteInteresting looking at these - my grandfather was L Duchesne who was the general manager of various Caston printers. I alway kept hearing about Eastleigh as a child. Now I know where it is - not London where he mainly worked. My mother also worked in the company (Walter and Whitehead) during the war and was never called up. She said her work was secret and that fits.
ReplyDelete