History of Stoneywood Mill

The Papeterie is the retail outlet selling the paper and card that is produced in Scotland at ArjoWiggins paper mill at Aberdeen.

 

 

The building which is now the home of The Papeterie retail shop has been known within the mill as the papeterie for decades. Papeterie is the french name for a stationer's shop or a paper mill,  and it fitting that the name of the shop reflects the "Papeteries de Stoneywood"  current ownership by the french papermaking company Papeteries d'Arjowiggins who are based at Issy in Paris.

 

Prior to becoming the retail shop, the building was used as a sports hall, and as training and meeting room suite.   Today, the mill meeting and training centre has been moved to the historic mill canteen which was one of the first industrial canteens to be built in the UK, and the first in Scotland.

 

The Papeterie has available employee ledgers for the use of geneologists which hold the records of all new mill employees who joined Stoneywood Mill from 1874 to 1974, signed by the employee with their name and address.  In the past, it was only possible to find employment in the mill by way of a family member being employed at the mill, and thus the registers are an invaluable guide to research family history and to discover relatives hitherto unknown.

 

It is said that there has always been a Pirie at the mill, and there are many Piries listed in the employee register.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Key Dates

• Stoneywood Mill was founded in 1770
• Alex Pirie joined the firm in 1800
• Acquired by Wiggins Teape in 1922
• Acquired by BAT in 1970
• Demerged from BAT as ArjoWigginsAppleton in 1990
• Merged with Arjomari in 1991 forming ArjoWigginsAppleton
• Became ArjoWiggins in 2000

A view from Stoneywood Mill towards Waterton Mill and the "Grass Sheds" where esparto grass was once stored prior to making into pulp for papermaking