1800

1900’s

BWT planted its roots during a time of innovation and novelty, an era hailed as one of the most fascinating chapters in recent UK history. BWT, or Baxter’s as it was called then, was founded in the midst of the industrial revolution. The place that made a mark the world over and became the first industrial city was none other than Manchester. Textiles and the cotton industry were the driving force behind this evolution and it was 1836 when James William Baxter established our company, initially as a manufacturer’s agency dealing in cotton goods.

As the company was going from strength to strength, by 1887 it was joined by another two senior members, Robert Woodhouse and John Taylor (pictured). The firm was thus renamed and has since been known as Baxter, Woodhouse & Taylor. Thanks to their collective efforts, BWT achieved a prominent reputation as a specialist in cloth linings for every conceivable purpose, ranging from hats and shoes, to camera bellows and overcoats.