The Watermark: Actually, a countermark

Meaning script - as opposed to a watermark which normally consists of a design.  The countermark appears on all untrimmed double elephant etchings.  It appears in block letters about 1 inch in height and stretches for about ten inches, and can appear anywhere on the paper.  It will say "J Whatman" or "J Whatman/Turkey Mill" and is followed by a date, generally between 1827 to 1838, although some have been seen with the date 1825.  The date is not a publication date, but the date the paper was made.

Who was Whatman?  

James Whatman married Ann Harris in 1740.  She was the widow of Richard Harris, who willed her the Turkey Mill.  Within thirteen years, the Whatman paper, turned out at the Turkey Mill, had the reputation of being the finest in England. 

Whatman paper 

This was the only paper Audubon used for his double elephant etchings.  James Whatman developed a new type of paper, wove.  James died in 1759, leaving the operations to his son James.  James sold the business in 1792 to Thomas Hollingworth, and the Hollingworth family continued making paper until 1976. It was also his choice for his watercolors.  Napoleon wrote his will on Whatman paper as he sat on the island of St. Helena.  George Washington signed state documents on Whatman paper.  Queen Victoria chose Whatman paper for her personal correspondence.

What does "Turkey Mill" represent? 

The Whatman factory, the Turkey Mill, stood on the site of a former corn mill that had been in operation since the 15th century.  The mill was named "Turkey Mill" due to the fact that it was grinding corn from India known as Turkey Wheat. 

The Turkey Mill as it appears today.

Today the site of the Whatman factory is a site for business conferencing on the banks of the River Len on the edge of Maidstone, Kent's County Town, in England.