 Tanning in Cullompton goes back to at least the sixteenth century and in the nineteenth century there were three tanneries : Crow Green , Lower King 's Mill and Court Tannery . The tannery at Higher King 's Mill was active between about 1830 and 1875 and employed 12 labourers in 1851 and 9 a decade later . Court Tannery was established by 1871 and had closed by 1906 . It was located at the north end of the town behind Court House , which was the residence of the owners of the tannery . In 1871 it employed 21 men and was probably steam @-@ powered . A local tanner , James Whitby , along with George Bodley and John Davis patented an improved bark mill ( used to grind bark for producing <unk> used in the tanning process ) . 
