Robert Henderson Clapperton was born on 10 February 1843 in Penicuik, Midlothian in Scotland.

 

When Stowford Paper Mill was sold by the Allen family in 1910, amongst the members of the syndicate who purchased the paper mill were the Clapperton family. Collectively they had a wealth of experience within the paper industry.  

 

Robert Henderson Clapperton became Mill Manager between the years 1910 – 1916 before his son, Richard Porteous Clapperton took over and remained in charge until the mill was sold to Portals in 1924. Robert’s other son, George Clapperton was the Managing Director but managed a paper mill in Oxfordshire.

 

Robert and his wife Janet lived at Uplands on Exeter Road. During his period of office, he experienced the challenges of the major fire to the rag loft building on 5th May 1914 followed by the outbreak of war. During the ensuing years the mill suffered from labour shortages as men enlisted for military service. Raw materials for paper making were also in short supply as indeed were orders for paper.

 

Robert had a grandson named after him and this often causes confusion. Robert Henderson Clapperton Jnr. did not work at Stowford Mill but was the author of ‘Modern Paper-Making’, the paper maker’s bible, which is still referred to today.