Watermarks in paper in Holland, England, France, etc. in the XVII and XVIII centuries and their interconnection / by W.A. Churchill.

  • William Algernon Churchill
Date:
1935
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Watermarks in paper in Holland, England, France, etc. in the XVII and XVIII centuries and their interconnection / by W.A. Churchill. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    30/537 page 26
    NOTES ON SOME OF THE LEADING DUTCH FACTORS IN FRANCE In 1635 a number of Dutch factors established themselves at An- gouleme, and among them was Abraham Janssen. He owned mills at Puy-moyen and at Nersac, and employed the following paper-makers: Jean Villedary, Claude de George, Jean and Francis Jardel, P. Salee, Etienne Touzeau and others. Being a man of substance he soon acquired considerable influence, and was appointed “Intendant des Finances de la Generality de Limoges”. In those days people in trade were not allowed to use crests, but gradually a few exceptions were made for eminently successful manufacturers, and Janssen obtained permission to add a crown to his foolscap watermark. Dirk Janssen, a brother of Abraham Janssen, is described in local notarial acts as a factor at Angouleme and the owner of various mills between 1638 and 1673. There were probably two men of the same name, because in a church at Egmond a/d Hoef there is a tombstone with the inscription: — “Here lies the paper-maker Dirk Janssen who was laid to (20) rest Nov. 25, 1667”. (In Dutch). Jacques Salmon described as “Escuyer, Seigneur des Moulins, Conseiller du Roy, Lieutenant de la Marechaussee d’Angulesme”, owned a mill at Nersac and employed Claude de George, paper-maker, until his death in 1683. In 1686 Salmon endeavoured by recourse to law to restrain Abraham Janssen from imitating his watermark which partly consisted of the letters C D G the initials of the famous Claude de George. Evidence was furnished showing that Abraham Janssen had injured the plaintiff in the manner complained of, but the lawsuit does not seem to have been concluded. Salmon did not obtain any redress and Janssen continued to supply paper with the watermark C D G long after the death of Claude de George. The paper, however, was of excellent quality and not inferior (9) to that made during the lifetime of Claude de George. [26]
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