Harrild & Sons

Harrild & Sons was a British printing-machinery and printing-supplies manufacturer founded by Robert Harrild in London in 1809. The company operated during the period when industrial and commercial printing was developing from a largely manual craft into a more systematic manufacturing industry. Its products were intended for printers using letterpress processes and included presses, composition rollers, type, paper-ruling machinery, trimming equipment, newspaper folders, and other equipment associated with printing production. The company is particularly associated with the introduction and wider adoption of composition rollers in London printing. Early nineteenth-century presses commonly used ink balls to transfer ink to the printing forme or plate. In 1813, Robert Harrild took part in discussions within London's printing community concerning the use of composition rollers as an alternative. Although many hand printers initially preferred ink balls, a successful demonstration of Harrild's roller helped persuade printers in London to adopt the newer method. Harrild subsequently established a separate operation at 25 Farringdon Street to manufacture the rollers. Over time, Harrild & Sons broadened its range beyond rollers and conventional letterpress presses. Its catalogue and advertisements presented the business as a supplier of virtually every major article required by printers, including paragon platen presses and named press types such as Columbian, Albion, and jobbing presses. It also supplied machinery for ruling, trimming, and folding paper, illustrating the company's role as an equipment maker and an integrated supplier to the printing trade rather than as a single-product brand. Robert Harrild died in 1853, after which his sons continued operating the business. The company's long period of activity covered major changes in printing technology, but the available reference material does not identify specific later product generations, ownership transactions, or named executives beyond Robert Harrild and the general succession to his sons. Harrild & Sons eventually ceased operations in 1949. Its historical importance rests chiefly on its contribution to the acceptance of composition rollers in London and on its place in the development of British printing machinery. A 1949 book, The House of Harrild, 1801–1948, documented the company and was published by Harrild & Sons Limited.

Robert Harrild established Harrild & Sons in London in 1809, with the business associated with Norwich Street and the Farringdon area. The company entered the market by manufacturing equipment for letterpress printing, the dominant commercial printing process of the period. Its early presses used ink balls to apply ink to the printing surface, reflecting common practice among hand printers. A significant turning point came in 1813, when Harrild participated in discussions among printers in London about replacing ink balls with composition rollers. Composition rollers offered a different method of transferring ink to the printing forme, but many hand printers initially preferred the established technique. Following a successful demonstration of Harrild's roller, however, printers throughout London adopted composition rollers. To support production of the new equipment, Harrild established another company at 25 Farringdon Street to manufacture the rollers. The business subsequently expanded its range. In addition to composition-roller equipment and letterpress presses, Harrild & Sons manufactured and marketed paragon platen presses, including Columbian, Albion, and jobbing presses. It also supplied type and machinery for paper ruling, trimming, and newspaper folding. The company's advertising described its offering broadly, presenting Harrild and Sons' manufacture as a source for essentially every article connected with printing machinery. This breadth positioned the business as a general supplier to printers rather than only a maker of one press or component. Robert Harrild died in 1853. His sons then operated the company, maintaining the family connection implied by the Harrild & Sons name. The reference material does not provide the individual names of those sons or a detailed account of the company's later management. Nor does it document particular acquisitions, major financial events, overseas subsidiaries, or later technological product launches. The company continued through the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries before ceasing operations in 1949. The firm's surviving historical significance is linked both to its manufacturing output and to its contribution to the adoption of composition rollers in London. Its former Farringdon Street building was notable for the use of terracotta supplied by Gibbs and Canning of Glascote, Tamworth. In 1949, Edward George Downing Liveing published The House of Harrild, 1801–1948, a 69-page company history issued by Harrild & Sons Limited. The publication provides a documentary marker of the business's legacy at the end of its operating life.

1. 1949Business closed

   Harrild & Sons ceased operations after approximately 140 years in the printing-machinery trade.

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2. 1853Founder died and sons took over

   After Robert Harrild's death, his sons continued operating the company.

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3. 1813Composition rollers demonstrated

   Robert Harrild participated in London's printing-industry discussion of composition rollers and successfully demonstrated their use as an alternative to ink balls.

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4. 1813Roller manufacturing operation established

   Harrild established another company at 25 Farringdon Street to manufacture composition rollers.

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5. 1809Company founded in London

   Robert Harrild established Harrild & Sons as a manufacturer of printing presses and related equipment.

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A specialist British supplier of letterpress machinery and related printing equipment, distinguished by its role in promoting composition rollers as a replacement for traditional ink balls in London printing.

• Composition rollersPrinting consumables and components1813

  Harrild's composition rollers were developed as an alternative to ink balls for applying ink to letterpress printing formes. Their successful demonstration in 1813 helped drive adoption among London printers, making the roller one of the company's most historically significant products.

• Letterpress printing pressesPrinting machinery

  The company manufactured presses for letterpress printing, initially in a market where ink balls were used to ink the printing surface. Harrild & Sons later broadened its press catalogue to serve different commercial and jobbing-printing requirements.

• Paragon platen pressesPrinting machinery

  Paragon platen presses formed part of Harrild & Sons' range of printing equipment. The company's advertisements also identified Columbian, Albion, and jobbing presses among its offerings.

• Paper-processing machineryPrinting and finishing machinery

  Harrild & Sons supplied machines used in stages surrounding printing, including paper-ruling machines, trimming machines, and newspaper-folding machines. These products extended the company beyond presses into preparation and finishing operations.

• Printing type and related suppliesPrinting supplies

  The firm's catalogue included type and other articles connected with printing machinery. This broader supply role allowed Harrild & Sons to serve printers seeking equipment and materials from one specialist manufacturer and supplier.

• 1813Promotion and manufacture of composition rollersProduct launch

  London hand printers commonly used ink balls, while composition rollers were being discussed as an alternative method for inking printing formes.

  What changed. Robert Harrild demonstrated a composition roller successfully and established a separate operation at 25 Farringdon Street to manufacture the rollers.

  Aftermath. Printers across London adopted composition rollers, establishing the company's most notable technological contribution to the printing trade.

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• 1949Harrild & Sons ceased operations

  The long-established London printing-machinery manufacturer closed down after operating from the early nineteenth century.

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• 1949The House of Harrild, 1801–1948 was published

  English author Edward George Downing Liveing published a 69-page history of Harrild & Sons, issued by the company and covering its historical period through 1948.

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1. Harrild & Sons