Cement Seal, 9 Elms Brand

Cement Seal, 9 Elms Brand, Francis & Co. Portland Cement Bag Seal, Image & Found by Awing.

Looks like the number 9 (confirmed by later seal) followed by ELMS with BRAND beneath. On the other side a copse of trees is depicted - presumably 9 elms.

Dylan Moore gives much information about The Nine Elms Cement Kilns including a copy of the attractive logo of Francis & Co. (shown beneath the seal) which includes same picture as appears on the lead seals of nine elms with 'THE NINE ELMS BRAND. REGISTERED.' written beneath. The Nine Elms Cement Kilns were owned by Francis & Co. Ltd. from 1867 - 1900 and Moore has the following to say about the site and company:- "Otherwise known as Cliffe Creek works, but not to be confused with Johnson’s plant at The Pottery. The original Nine Elms plant was near Vauxhall Bridge in central London (530170,177970), and remained Francis’ manufacturing site until it was taken over by the South Western Railway in 1867, when the plant at Cliffe was established. A bank of nine bottle kilns was built, but some of these may have been used for Roman Cement – the Portland output might have been 200 t/week. By 1886, another ten kilns had been built, bringing capacity to 570 t/week. At this point, Francis bought the Cliffe Creek and Cliffe Quarry plants, and manufacture was concentrated at the latter, with the Nine Elms plant being used as top-up capacity, and increasingly for whiting manufacture. Cement manufacture formally ceased with the APCM takeover in 1900."

BT 31/3700/23006 Company No: 23006; Francis and Company Ltd. Incorporated ON 7/8/86 1886. a partnership between cement manufacturers and merchants of Nine Elms Cement Wharf, Bridge Foot, Vauxall, Surrey and Empson, Holcombe & Co and the Whiting Works at Cliffe, Rochester, Kent known as Francis, Donald and Johnson’s Works. Dissolved 15/1/1901 upon its sale to the Associated Portland Cement Manufacturers (1900) Limited.