Japanning in Bilston
The first mention of 'japanners' in the Parish Registers of Bilston is in 1718. Joseph Allen and Samuel Stone are listed, but it is likely that their involvement was only slight as their primary trades were in the metal industry, which by 1781 had become a recognised trade in its own right.
Bilston's manufactories made very little papier-mache and generally produced items for the lower end of the market. This was due to the fact that they exported the majority of their goods to Spain and South America, where quality came second to bright colours and low prices. Labour was also cheaper in Bilston than in the other midland centres of production. The Bilston companies were therefore affected far less by changes in trade or changing tastes and fashions. A few workshops survived until the 1930s.