J. Avons and Sons: A Trowbridge Brushmaking Legacy
Established in Newtown, Trowbridge in 1840, J. Avons and Sons was a prominent local company specializing in the manufacture of brushes. The company quickly grew, relocating its offices and showroom to 26 Fore Street in 1861. They reroofed the building upon moving in and maintained this headquarters until the building’s demolition in 1929.
Their production facility was housed within the Castle Court Factory complex, a site with a rich history; one block of the factory dates back to 1828 and the other to 1836, originally serving as a steam-powered textile mill before being sold in 1894 for furniture storage and showrooms. J. Avons and Sons produced brushes at Castle Court for at least the period between 1904 and 1936.
The successes
The success of J. Avons and Sons was driven by a strong need for their product, particularly in the local textile industry. The presence of brush factories often mirrored that of textile mills because textile brushes are indispensable, specialized tools. Designed with various bristle materials, shapes, and sizes, they are crucial for tasks like cleaning, deburring, polishing, and applying finishes to woollen cloth. Beyond the local trade with factories like Salters, bill heads from 1932 demonstrate a national reach, indicating they supplied brushes to the Admiralty, the War Office, and various railway companies.
J. Avons and Sons were far from the only successful brush makers in town. A J Earl and Sons of the Prospect Brush works also held contracts with Salters. L Newth and Son held premises on Roundstone Street and were wholesalers as well as retailers.
The importance of brushes didn’t just end at the textile mills. Brushes were used by retailers selling high end coats, furnishings and hats. They were also commonly given as gifts on your 21st birthday, commonly with your initials in the bristles.
