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{{Short description|British book printer}}

'''William Clowes Ltd.''' is a British [[printing]] company founded in [[London]] in 1803 by [[William Clowes (Printer)|William Clowes]]. It grew from a small, one press firm to one of the world's largest printing companies in the mid-1800s. It continues to operate out of its large printing factory near [[Beccles]], [[Suffolk]].

'''William Clowes Ltd.''' is a British [[printing]] company founded in [[London]] in 1803 by [[William Clowes (printer)|William Clowes]]. It grew from a small, one press firm to one of the world's largest printing companies in the mid-19th century. The company merged with Caxton Press, operated by William Moore in [[Beccles]], [[Suffolk]] in the late 19th century and concentrated its business in the town following [[World War II]]. It is one of the UK’s largest manufacturers of directories and reference books and continues to operate out of its large printing factory at [[Ellough]] near Beccles as part of the CPI UK group.<ref name="clowes">[http://uk.cpibooks.com/manufacturing-locations/our-manufacturers-in-the-uk/william-clowes/ William Clowes], CPI UK. Retrieved 2011-06-25.</ref><ref name="cpilocations">[http://uk.cpibooks.com/manufacturing-locations/ Locations], CPI UK. Retrieved 2011-06-25.</ref>

==History==

Clowes established the firm on [[21 October]] [[1803]] at 2 Villiers Street, London next to [[Strand, London|the Strand]]. The company was small in the beginning, having only one [[printing press]] and one assistant.<ref name="dnb">Weedon.A (2004a) 'Clowes, William (1779–1847)', ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press ([http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/5718 available online]), accessed 2011-06-25.</ref> Clowes worked for three days and nights to finish his first job, which satisfied the customer. Business soon grew from word of mouth, as customers were impressed with the company's speed and accuracy.

===Expansion and steam powered presses===

The company expanded in 1823 with the purchase of Northumberland Court and the installation of its first [[Steam engine|steam-powered]] [[Printing press|press]]es (made by [[Applegath and Cowper]]).<ref name="dnb" /> However, the new noisy presses disturbed the [[Duke of Northumberland]], whose palace was nearby, and he ordered the company to cease operation. When Clowes refused, the case was tried in court in June 1824, where the printer won with the help of his attorney [[John Copley, 1st Baron Lyndhurst|John Copley]].<ref name="dnb" /><ref name="smiles">Smiles.S (1884) 'William Clowes: introducer of book-printing by steam' in ''Men of invention and industry'' ([http://www.gutenberg.org/files/725/725-h/725-h.htm#chap08 available online at Project Gutenberg]). Retrieved 2011-06-25.</ref> Clowes agreed to move the presses though in exchange for a sum paid by the Duke. The exchange proved fruitful for Clowes, as the bankruptcy of [[Archibald Constable]] caused a short period of bad business that afflicted the London publishing industry; and the Duke's compensation helped offset the large losses Clowes experienced during this time.<ref name="smiles" />

In 1826, the company purchased and moved to premises on Duke Street that(now hadDuchy previouslyStreet),<ref beenname="SE1 occupiedDuchy byStreet">{{cite Applegathweb and|title=Duchy CowperStreet |url=https://www.london-se1.co.uk/street/duchy-street Because|website=London Clowes'SE1 sonsCommunity increasinglyWebsite became|publisher=Bankside involvedPress inLtd. the|access-date=24 company,January he2025}}</ref> changed[[Lambeth]]. theThis namehad ofpreviously thebeen companyoccupied toby Applegath and Cowper. The firm, which was renamed at William Clowes &and Sons in 1839. The firm, grew rapidly, and by 1843, it was one of the largest printing companies in the world: it operated 24 presses and had its own [[Typesetting|type and stereotype]] foundries, 2500 tonnes of stereotyped plates (at the time worth at least 500,000 [[Pound sterling|pounds sterling]]), and a collection of 80,000 [[woodcut]]s.<ref name="smiles" /> In 1847, Clowes died, and three of his sons, William Clowes the younger (1807–1883), Winchester, and George, took over running the company.<ref name="dnb" /> In 1851, the company secured a large contract to print half a million catalogues for the [[Great Exhibition]]. The project involved the use of 50 tonnes of type, 30,000 reams of paper and three tonnes of ink.<ref name="dnbyounger">Weedon.A (2004b) 'Clowes, William, the younger (1807–1883)', ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press'', ([http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/5720 available online]), accessed 2011-06-25.</ref>

===Merger with Caxton Press===

In 1873, William Clowes the younger's eldest son, William Archibald Clowes (1843–1904), and his nephew William Charles Knight Clowes (1838–1917) entered a partnership with William Moore, who operated the Caxton Press in [[Beccles]], [[Suffolk]]. Although Moore suddenly disappeared, leaving a considerable debt, the firm survived and was re-established as Clowes and Clowes. It grew from operating four presses to 15 in just three years. In 1880, Clowes and Clowes merged with William Clowes & Sons to form William Clowes Ltd.<ref name="dnbyounger" />

===Relocation to Beccles===

The company continued operating into the 20th century, but suffered a setback during [[World War II]], when [[the Blitz]] destroyed its Duke Street offices;. afterFollowing the war, the firm decided to concentrate on expanding its presses in Beccles. In the late 1970s, computerizedcomputerised phototypesetting was introduced to the company. Aswhich the printing industry became increasingly computerized during the late 20th century, William Clowes Ltd.has continued to invest in digital technology. The company sold its old Beccles premises in 2003 and moved to a new, custom-built factory at [[Ellough]] on the outskirts of Beccles in 2004.<ref name="bbc25feb08">[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/suffolk/7263221.stm Staff call for safe route to work], BBC news website, 2008-02-28. Retrieved 2011-06-25.</ref>

==References==

{{Reflist}}

*Langley, Leanne. "Clowes". ''[http://www.grovemusic.com Grove Music Online]'' (subscription required). ed. L. Macy. Retrieved on [[March 7]], [[2007]].

*[[Samuel Smiles|Smiles, Samuel]] [November 1884] (November 1996). "William Clowes: Introducer of Book-Printing by Steam" in {{Gutenberg|name=Men of Invention and Industry|no=725}} Retrieved on [[March 7]], [[2007]].

*"[http://www.clowes.co.uk/framepagehist.htm William Clowes - a brief history]". William Clowes Ltd. Retrieved on [[March 7]], [[2007]].

*Weedon, Alexis (2004). "[http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/5718 Clowes, William (1779–1847)]" (subscription required). [[Oxford Dictionary of National Biography]]. [[Oxford University Press]]. Retrieved on [[March 7]], [[2007]].

{{Authority control}}

==External link==

[[Category:Printing companies of the United Kingdom]]

*[http://www.clowes.co.uk/ William Clowes Ltd.]

[[Category:Companies based in Suffolk]]

[[Category:Printers]]