Bronze Age Gold from Wales

Spillers and Bakers Limited, 1890, blue on white. * Blue print on white paper with handwritten details completed in black ink. Ornate border around. Embossed company seal at bottom left. 15 £10 shares numbered 22688 to 22692 and 29128 to 29137. Certificate number '153'. Dated 20 November 1890. Issued to William Jones of Treharris. Signed by Joseph Allen and C. Thompson (Directors), and and RS? Fisher (Assistant Secretary).

Spillers & Bakers Ltd. owned major flour mills at Cardiff Docks from 1854 to late twentieth century. First mill built 1854 by Joel Spiller who had commenced as a miller at Bridgewater in 1829, in reaction to repeal of the Corn Laws in 1846, this encouraging the importation of grain and the establishment of mills at major ports. This was the second major coastal flour mill in Wales, the first having opened at Swansea Docks in 1850. In the later 1850s Spiller added a bakery at Cardiff specialising in ships biscuits. In 1881 the Cardiff Mill was one of the first in the UK to convert from conventional stones to iron rollers, a change that soon swept across the entire industry. Following a disastrous fire in 1882, the original 1854 mill was replaced by two major new mills and to raise the necessary finance a limited company was incorporated in 1883. In 1890 the title was changed to Spillers & Bakers Ltd. on amalgamation with William Baker & Sons of Bristol – this certificate dates from this change. In 1901 a third major mill was built at Cardiff, making the company the largest flour producer outside London. The company changed its name a number of times after 1919 and was ultimately absorbed into Nestle. The Cardiff mills were converted into apartments in 1993.