Local historians,
Charles Tebbutt and Rosa Young, have published extensive research into St
Neots’ history. What follows has largely been gleaned from their work.
From 1865 Paine
and Company, the brewers, set up a building merchants
business in the yard behind the Dog and Duck Inn near Eynesbury
Bridge. They sold tools and materials to local builders and skilled craftsmen.
In 1879 the business was sold to Charles Daintree
and Fred Jewson. The yard was too small so they first hired, then
bought, Navigation Wharf across the street. It used to be the wharf and
depot of the Ouse Navigation Company but the coming of the railway in
1850 had caused serious decline in the canal trade.
More storage sheds
were built and the 1850 steam engine from Paine’s Bedford Street mill was
brought up to power a new saw mill. It was replaced by diesel in 1931 because
of the high cost of coal. The old lime
kiln was re-used for making cement and mortar.
In 1881 they
advertised as ‘Deal Timber and Slate Merchants
Dealers in
Lime, Lath, Chimney Pots, Stone, Whiting, hair, Sewerage Pipes, Cement etc. Proprietors of the New Sawing, Planing,
and Moulding Mills.’
Richard Jewson
took control of the business in 1887 after Daintree’s
family emigrated to Australia. He sold the yard, stock
and goodwill of the business in 1889 to Charles Tebbutt, who
became very involved in local sports clubs.
During the First
World War he bought the Felmongers Yard on
the south side of Eynesbury bridge. He
installed a rack bench driven by a portable steam engine to produce timber from
local trees.
(Sources: Young, R. (1996), 'St Neots Past', Phillimore; Tebbutt, C.F. (1978), St Neots – History of a Huntingdonshire Town, Unwin Brothers)