Pictures

To celebrate Rawle, Gammon and Baker (now affectionately known to all as RGB) reaching 140 years from its origins in Rolle Quay, Pilton in 1850, the North Devon Journal produced a Special Publication in 1990. This photograph is the cover, a painting of a scene at Rolle Quay at the time. It shows how logs, having been delivered to Appledore in 600 ton vessels which couldn't come up the River Taw, were floated to Barnstaple and into the River Yeo and then lifted into the yard. RGB started as a timber importer and saw miller. In the background of the picture is the Rolle Quay Inn, the only building actually present in 1850.

At the time the company was only Rawle and Gammon - the partners were Samuel Rawle who was a shipbroker and William Gammon who was one of the principal builders of Barnstaple. It was not until 1879, when Samuel Rawle's son--in-law F. Baker joined the firm, that it became Rawle, Gammon & Baker.

More details of the long history of RGB with photographs from this publication can be found at the end of this link:
http://vimp.thepiltonstory.org/document/A-Brief-History-of-Rawle%252C-Ga....

Many thanks go to Colin Worth, Chairman of RGB, for the picture and information and also to the North Devon Journal.