Object number
2010/126
Collection
Creator
Description
This cloth sack, made of either cotton or linen, was probably intended for seeds. It is printed with the text ‘Suttons Seeds Reading England’. It is part of a large collection of objects relating to Suttons Seeds Ltd., as well as other rural artefacts, compiled by John Cox, who worked at Suttons from 1931 to 1976, starting as an office boy and finishing as Company Secretary.
Physical description
1 sack: textile
Label Text
Suttons sack. This sack was one produced and sold by Suttons Seeds at some stage between 1931 and 1976. Formed in 1806 by John Sutton, Suttons Seeds was based in Reading and exploited new methods of transport to rapidly become a worldwide seed distribution company. As well as sale and distribution, it was heavily involved in researching germination and purity of seeds. Suttons was particularly prominent in Britain's colonies and set up a branch in Calcutta to facilitate local demand. The Indian branch is now an independent company named Suttind seeds, which distributes pollenated and hybrid seeds to commercial Indian farmers.
Archival history
MERL 'Handwritten accession' form (Museum of English Rural Life) – ‘Associated information: This item was part of a large collection of Suttons Seeds related objects and other rural artefacts collected by the late John Cox. Mr Cox was company secretary at Suttons 1968–1976. He started at Suttons in 1931. The collections he amassed were sorted by his daughters, Bridget and Katherine, following his death. The Museum agreed to purchase a number of objects, which were then identified and assessed with the help of Gerry Westall and Ron Butler (MERL volunteers and former colleagues of Mr Cox).’, MERL miscellaneous note, Greta Bertram, 2 August 2012 – Suttons Seeds Ltd. was founded in 1806 by John Sutton (1777–1863) and traded as a corn merchant. It was known as the ‘House of Sutton’ and had premises on King Street, Reading. John’s two sons joined the business in 1832 and in 1836 it was renamed ‘Sutton & Son’. In 1837 the company moved to the Market Place, Reading, and expanded into seeds and acquired nursery grounds in Queens Road, Reading. In 1840 they established a testing laboratory and in 1873 new buildings replaced those in Market Place. These included various offices, separate store rooms for different types of seeds and bulbs, recreation rooms, residences and a fire station. In 1962 Suttons moved to new grounds and premises on the eastern outskirts of Reading, before moving to Torquay, Devon, in 1976 and then Paington, Devon, in 1998.
Production place
Reading
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