Details

Name

Wolsey Limited

Brief Biography

established 1755, British / English

Occupation

hosiery, underwear, outerwear; sportswear and men's wear manufacturer

Description

Wolsey is a men's wear manufacturer. The company was founded initially by and named after Henry Wood in Leicester in 1755. After Henry's death in 1768 the business was taken on by his widow, Ann. In 1778 their son, Henry, became a partner with the firm renamed as Ann Wood & Sons, with younger son, Thomas, joining in 1780. During the early 1800s the majority of the company's market share was sold in Scotland via George Walker, a Glaswegian wool merchant and hosier. George's son, Richard, later joined the company, becoming a partner in 1842 and introducing a thistle trademark. After the Richard Wood, the founder's grandson retired, the firm was renamed R Walker & Sons, expanding production into under- and outerwear in 1864.

Wolsey was registered as their trademark on 12 October 1897, named after Cardinal Wolsey who is buried in Leicester Cathedral with the first Wolsey advertisement appearing in the Drapers' Record in July 1898. In 1911 the company supplied Wolsey underwear to both Captain Scott and Roald Amundsen for their race to the South Pole.

In 1920 R Walker and Sons merged with W Tyler and Sons to become Wolsey Limited. During the interwar period the company introduced sportswear lines, including swimwear, and was awarded its first Royal Warrant by George V in 1935. In 1964 the company acquired Lyle & Scott, but was in turn bought out by Courtaulds in 1967, although it continued to trade under the names of Wolsey, Lyle & Scott, and other subsidiaries. Wolsey Ltd became independent again 1996 but was subsequently acquired by Matalan in the early 2000s.