W.D. & H.O. Wills
| Industry | Tobacco importer and cigarette manufacturer |
|---|---|
| Successor | Imperial Tobacco and Imperial Tobacco Company of India Limited, now ITC Limited |
| Founded | 1786 |
| Defunct | 1988 (Seal still used in other brands) |
| Headquarters | Bristol |
|
Key people
|
Henry Overton Wills, William Henry Wills |
| Products | Woodbine, Embassy |
W.D. & H.O. Wills was a British tobacco importer and cigarette manufacturer formed in Bristol, England. It was one of the founding companies of Imperial Tobacco.
The company was founded in 1786 and went by various names before 1830 when it became W.D. & H.O. Wills. Tobacco was processed and sold under several brand names, some of which were still used by Imperial Tobacco until the second half of the 20th century. The company pioneered the use of cigarette cards within their packaging. Many of the buildings in Bristol and other cities around the United Kingdom still exist with several being converted to residential use.
Henry Overton Wills arrived in Bristol from Salisbury in 1786.
The company was founded as Wills, Watkins & Co. by Henry Overton Wills I and his partner Watkins, who opened a shop in Castle Street, Bristol in 1786. After the retirement of his partner in 1789 it became Wills & Co. From 1791 to 1793 the company was known as Lilly, Wills & Co when it merged with the firm of Peter Lilly, who owned a snuff mill on the Land Yeo at Barrow Gurney, and then, from 1793 to his retirement in 1803, as Lilly and Wills.
In 1826 his two sons, William Day Wills and Henry Overton Wills took over the company and in 1830 the company took the above name. William Day Wills' middle name is from his mother, Anne Day of Bristol. Both WD and HO Wills were non-smokers. 2000 people attended WD Wills' funeral in 1865 at Arnos Vale Cemetery.
The East Street factory in Bedminster opened in 1886 with a high tea for the 900 employees in the Cigar Room. Their first brand was "Bristol", made at the London factory from 1871 to 1974. Three Castles and Gold Flake followed in 1878 and Woodbine ten years later. Embassy was introduced in 1914 and relaunched in 1962 with coupons.
Up until 1920 only women and girls were employed as cigar-makers. One clause in the women's contract stipulated:
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