John Spilman

Sir John Spilman (also spelt Spielman) (died 1626) was a Lindau, German-born entrepreneur who founded the first commercially successful paper-mill in England, establishing a factory on the River Darenth in Dartford, Kent in 1588. Spilman was also jeweller to Queen Elizabeth I, and was knighted by King James I. Paper making In 1588 Spilman was granted a Crown lease on two mills in the Manor of Bignores at Dartford (the mills were previously leased to local landowner William Vaughan who died in 1580). Spilman repaired and altered the mills, at an estimated cost of £1,500, and financed the employment of skilled German paper-makers to produce good quality white paper. One of the first works published using Spilman's paper was a poem by Thomas Churchyard dedicated to Sir Walter Raleigh thus: A sparke of friendship, and warm good will ; with a poem concerning the commodity of sundry sciences ; especially concerning paper, and a mill, lately set up near Dartfort by a high German, called Mr. Spilman, jeweller to the queen majesty. The works became a major source of local employment, with some 600 workers.