Frederick Walton
(This standee is located in the Thames Room of Spelthorne Museum.)
Linoleum (Latin = Linum for flax and Oleum for oil), was invented by Frederick Walton in 1860. (Patented in 1862). Walton rented a mustard mill (Hale), in Staines in 1867 to manufacture this highly durable floor covering made from combined renewable materials. Staines Linoleum Company, became an industry which achieved worldwide success over many years. Walton then bought the Hale Mill, which had been a working Mill on the River Colne since the 13th century, in 1871.

Frederick Walton with some of the Lino buildings behind him.

Two of the old Lino buildings (numbers 16 and 17).

The Linoleum Factory is located in a triangle from the red dot to the right, across by the railway line and behind the High Street back to the red dot. It was a massive place (over 12 acres) and I remember when I was a kid in the 50's going to picnics and sports days in their own sports fields. Also there were parties for kids at Christmas every year, with Father Christmas giving every child a present. My Dad worked there for many years, as did many other local people. At one point there were 3,000 people employed there.

Staines linoleum was exported throughout the world, and in 1907, the White Star Line had installed Lino on board their ships, including the Titanic (left) The Linoleum was a major industry and source of employment for the area, prior to WW11 they employed more than 3,000 people, and the area of the factory had expanded to over 12 acres on both sides of the railway track. Production of Lino continued up until 1969.

Various Publicity advertisements

Lincrusta was a wall covering that was originally produced by Frederick Walton and Co. Wall Decoration Manufacturers, in 1878 in Hanworth Rd. Sunbury. This ad was from New York, NY, USA. (Walton had erected a factory, Joseph Wild Co. on Staten Island, NY within ten years of opening the Staines factory.)

A sculpture in Staines High Street depicting men who worked at the Lino.

The Lino Men
Or
Release Every Pattern
Both photos manipulated by Gloria Hazell

A Few of the Various Lino Designs

The Lino Women
These are some of the women who made these designs. All done by hand.

 

It looks like there are rolls of Lino outside this shop for sale. This shop was next to the Angel and Crown Hotel.
This was around 1900.

 

The patent that was on every roll of Lino. Shown today in the Spelthorne Museum, Staines.

During the Wars the factory became a Munitions factory, in WW1 it was the Staines Projectile Company. In WW11, Whiteheads, who produced torpedos. (My Mum worked at Whiteheads, she often talked about the time she spent there, and all of the girls who worked alongside her, she was Dot and her best friend was Dash, because they were both Dorothy's. She never said that they made torpedos though, she never let on what they made even though the war had been over for many years! Loose lips.... even years later!)

After the Lino closed in the 1970's, the buildings were used by various Companies when the Estate became the 'Central Trading Estate'. The area was changed in 1996 when the buildings were demolished and the Two Rivers Shopping Centre was built. The sports field and the factory on the other side of the railway line became the Moormede Housing Estate in the late 70's.