2006/56/2

Metal boxes or tins such as this were used by Suttons Seeds Ltd. for packaging seeds for export in the days before polyethelene and foil packing. This is a small, metal, box with a hinged lid. It is gold in colour with ‘Sutton’s Seeds // In use // throughout the world. // Sutton & Sons. Reading, England’ written on the lid in black and ‘Over 200 Medals & Orders // awarded to Suttons Seeds’ written on the base in black.

1 box: metal

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., 2007/28 Object History Note – Suttons Seeds Ltd. Torquay, Descriptions of Tools and Apparatus from Suttons Seeds once used in the Seed Industry – ’10. Seed Order Despatch Tins // Before the days of polyethelene and foil packaging, seed orders sent to the tropical regions of the world and to countries in the southern hemisphere, were despatched in purpose-made, hermetically sealed tins. This form of packaging ensured the seed would be insulated against the very high relative humidities of the tropics which have a devastating effect on seed viability. // The dimensions of the tins varied according to the size of the order, and the lids of the seed-pack tins were soldered on by Suttons own tin smiths.’