In this section: Sir John Spilman> Augustus Applegath > Bryan Donkin > John Marshall JOHN MARSHALL
	Dandy Roll Advertisement Picture Credit: Dartford Museum INVENTOR OF THE DANDY ROLL Most good quality paper is embellished with a decorative 'watermark' that can be seen when a sheet of paper is held up to the light, but does not interfere with the smooth surface of the paper. The watermark appeared for the first time in Fabriano, Italy in 1282. Each paper-maker had his own distinctive mark, used as a sign of quality and authenticity. Clear watermarks were used until the 18th century, when a technique for producing 'dark line' watermarks was perfected. An Englishman, William Henry Smith, invented the shaded watermark in 1848. This transformed the art of the watermark by making it possible to produce more complicated compositions with an almost unlimited fineness of detail and richness of half-tones.
	Visiting card Picture credit: Dartford Museum Bryan Donkin's perfection of the Fourdrinier continuous paper-making machine in 1806 created the need for a special device which could insert the watermark into a continuous roll of paper instead of sheet by sheet. It was a Dartford paper-makers' engineer and paper mould maker who invented this device- John Marshall, whose paper-mill was sited on the banks of the River Darent just below Holy Trinity Church. Marshall invented and perfected his device, known as a 'dandy role', in about 1826.
	Daily Telegraph employees Picture credit: Dartford Museum His reputation as a dandy roll and paper mould maker was second to none. From 1829 to 1830 the Bank of England appointed Marshall to manufacture the moulds upon which the Bank of England notes were made. Other paper-makers also recognised his skills. John Marshall's dandy rolls and moulds were used in almost every country in the world where paper was made. He died in 1875 at the fine old age of 87.     Next topic: Engineering
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