Honiton History: Oldest established business in town ceases trading

The oldest established business in Honiton, family run stationers and printing shop A Dimond & Co., ceased trading in early December.

This long-established local business was started by Robert Dimond in the late 19th century. Robert Dimond was born in Honiton in 1848, the oldest son of James and Susan Dimond, an agricultural

labourer.

His father, James, died when Robert was only nine, in 1857. His sudden death left his young wife to raise three young children alone, working as a poorly-paid seamstress.

Robert was also forced to work as a basket-maker from a young age to support his two younger brothers.

By the 1870s the family were living with Susan's widowed mother in Lees Buildings however, Robert had already started on the road to his future career as a printer.

His mother Susan worked a servant to the printer, John Knight, with whom it is believed Robert learnt the trade.

When John Knight died in 1888, he had been in business in the town for 50 years running a successful print works as well as being the official printer of the Liberal Party's material; he was also a town alderman.

Robert married a local lace-maker, Eliza Connett, in 1878 and established his own printing firm, which he took over, on John Knight's death, at their longstanding High Street on 26th June 1888.

Robert Dimond sadly died at the premises when he took his own life in 1902, aged 54. Like his mother before him, his widow continued the business, as well as raising their five children alone.

Mrs. Dimond ran the stationers and printers until the early 1920s when it became known as 'Dimond & Co.' It was then taken over by Robert and Eliza's son, Archibald 'Archie' Dimond, then their grandson, Arthur and finally Anthony – three generations whose tradition of starting their children's names with 'A' was passed down.

Arthur Dimond died in 2016, three days shy of his 94th birthday and his son Anthony sadly passed away only a year later after losing a long battle with cancer, aged 67.

The main High Street shop closed in 2008, relocating to smaller premises nearby. However, the business returned to the High Street, into part of its original premises in 2018, when the 28-year-long established shop Beauchamp Place closed.

A Dimond & Co. carried on for two further years but after 132 years the business sadly closed for the last time when the owners went into voluntary liquidation in early December 2020.