Leather and Allied Industries

The preparation of leather and the manufacture of leather goods has a long and possibly continuous history in Godalming.

There were local supplies of hides and of oak bark - the best, but also the slowest tanning agent, the hides being left in the vats for twelve months or more.

The name of William Oueton, tanner occurs in a pole tax return 1380-81. There are a number of references in records from 1440-1483 to persons being fined for exercising the craft of whitening leather outside the market town.

In the Wardens Book appears The oath for Searchers and Sealers of Leather which dates from 1671/72. This role seems to have lapsed by 1710.

There are records of a tannery near Ockford Bridge in 1745; of Brayley, writing in 1841 referring to the Westbrook Oil Leather Mills stating that the industry was established about a century ago.

In 1808 a 'bark' house was erected in a Mill Lane tan yard for the grinding of bark and another tannery is referred to near Meadrow some seventeen years later. Bryants Map of Surrey for actual survey published in 1823 shows yet another tan yard off the Brighton Road.

The Godalming Almanack and Directory for 1865 refers to the Westbrook firm, a tanner, fellmonger etc. at Meadrow, a tanner and leather cutter in Mill Lane, Brighton Terrace and Wharf Street.

Westbrook Mill, the largest of these leather mills and tanneries has, with certain changes of ownership, constituted an industry of much local importance down to quite recent times finally closing in 1953/54.