Christy Heritage Book

Heritage Book

Our Story

For over 170 years, we’ve been filling homes with unmistakably British products, designed with love and made to last.

From our very first towel to our latest collection, every Christy product has been designed with the same love and care in Manchester. We are extremely proud of our heritage, so here is our story…

Christy Family The

Our story for the Christy family traces as far back as 1748 when Miller Christy was born. Miller Christy married Anne in 1773 and opened Christy’s The Hatters in the same year. They had 3 sons – Thomas, William Miller and John.

William Miller completed an apprenticeship in the hatting business but was also very business minded with a keen interest in banking. He married in 1805 and had 3 sons and 7 daughters. The family moved from London to Stockport in 1826 and in 1830 opened another business, a cotton mill named Hillgate Mill. In 1837 a second cotton mill, Fairfield Mill opened in Droylsden which became home to the “Royal Turkish Towels” in 1850.

The 1800’s

Henry Christy returns to Industrial Britain

1850:

William Miller’s son, Henry Christy left England for Constantinople and returned with a sample of looped pile fabric which was new to the Western World.

His brother, Richard analysed how to mechanically reproduce the fabric and patented a machine to produce terry towelling on a large scale.

1852:

Christy replaced hand looms and installed power looms for the manufacture of their towels which enabled much higher volumes to be produced due to the increased speed.

1800’s

Other manufacturers soon discovered the commercial value of producing the “Royal Turkish Towels” so Christy had to act fast to protect their rights.

1876-1877:

The first terry towel was in production and this was shown at The Great Exhibition in 1851.

Her Majesty, Queen Victoria was presented with a set of these and she immediately ordered more. From then on demand for the “Royal Turkish Towel” was high.

Specification documents were submitted to the O ce of the Commissioners of Patents for Inventions. One was for the invention of the loom and the other for the manufacture of looped or terry fabrics.

1878: A Patent certificate was issued for the invention of improvements in the manufacture of looped or terry fabrics.

The first terry towel

Henry Christy

Royal Wax Seal

1890’s Industrial Revolution

1880’s

1883:

Business was booming and expansions to Fairfield Mill began with the purchase of a plot of land providing direct access to the canal.

1888:

Copyright infringements continued for Christy, but successful action was taken to protect Christy’s trademark.

1891:

Production had expanded significantly with the mill now running 30,000 spindles and 710 looms manufacturing terry towels.

Post-War Innovation

At the end of the First World War, the industry was struggling and trade was tough. Not phased by this, Christy continued to innovate and adapt to changing demands.

1920’s

The introduction of fitted bathrooms, brought a more discerning customer who wanted to introduce colour schemes into their homes. And so the expansion into coloured towels began at Christy with investment in new machines to develop new styles and designs.

1928-1929:

As far back as early 1928 Christy had global ambitions and took their products to some remote places. In this year, new innovative designs were exhibited at the Melbourne Exhibition and then in 1929 the new beach wrap launched at the Toronto Exhibition.

1941:

The Second World War brought a bitter blow to Christy, when the mill was forced to close after 104 years due to the demand for its workers. A skeleton sta kept the machines in working order until they could run once more.

1942:

Luckily the re-opening of the mill came sooner than expected in September 1942 due to a serious shortage of towels which had developed during the war.

Culture Shift

1951:

In 1951 Christy celebrated “The Century Achieved”, 100 years of the Royal Turkish Towel. There was an exhibition and parties were held for the press and buyers who were all given a copy of the celebration booklet.

1956:

As innovators and creatives, Christy have always pushed the boundaries in everything we do. This advert from 1956 is no exception, pushing social boundaries which still have a little shock value even today. At Christy, we often take inspiration from our archives and this textured towel is no exception. It inspired our Brixton towel, which is one of our most popular ranges available today.

Henry Christy returns to Industrial Britain

Other manufacturer’s soon discovered the commercial value of producing the “Royal Turkish Towels” so Christy had to act fast to protect their rights.

1950’s

Responding to the changing social culture of the 50’s, Christy moved with the times and developed these colourful beach wraps. Styled in Paris they were on trend and fashion forward. As travel became more popular, the requirement for beach wear and beach towels became an essential item for the new global traveller.

By Royal Appointment

Christy became part of the Courtauld’s group of companies in 1963. The new owners brought with them a cash injection, new machinery, new skill sets and Christy re-invented its self once again…

Christy bed linen was born.

1964:

Prince Philip visited the site on 13th March 1964...

1937: 1953:

The Coronation of Edward VIII was due to take place on the 12th May, 1937. Preparations had already begun and Christy had already manufactured and sold souvenir towels when he abdicated on the 11th of December 1936.

Ever the Royalists, Christy still went on to produce a souvenir Coronation Towel for King George VI in 1937.

In 1953 Christy produced a special towel to celebrate the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II; this was presented to Her Majesty as a gift.

... and took a tour of the manufacturing facilities.

By Royal Appointment

1977:

The Silver Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II in 1977, marked the 25th anniversary  of her accession to the throne.

It was celebrated with large-scale parties and parades throughout the United Kingdom and the  Commonwealth. Christy designed and manufactured a towel in two colours to commemorate the occasion.

1981:

In 1981, to commemorate the wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer, Christy designed and manufactured a Royal Turkish towel embroidered with Charles and Diana’s initials in gold thread and a silk square exclusively for Debenhams department stores.

Leading the Revolution

Home interior trends in the 1970’s shift towards eye catching patterns and bold, playful colours. Wall to wall carpets and coloured bathroom suites become popular within the home changing what were functional utility spaces into rooms which are much more aesthetically pleasing.

A change in family dynamics also see more women start entering the workforce, leading to families having two incomes and more disposable income for luxury items.

1970’s

1975:

In 1975 Christy partnered with Pierre Cardin to produce a bedlinen range made from a new blend of Polyester/Vincel. It was developed by Christy to be the next generation of sheeting material. This easy to wash, quick drying fabric virtually eliminated the problem of creasing and ironing. The finely constructed fabric also had a greater resistance to soiling and the ability to retain colour or ensure that whites stay white for longer.

By the end of the 70’s, Christy really began to push the boundaries on retailing and started thinking like a retailer, not just a manufacturer.

Christy created a new range by using existing products to create the gift set. This was a must have item for any newly married couple.

Christy Colour

The end of 1970’s were no exception for Christy re-inventing themselves and pushing boundaries further, not only through the innovation in products but in the way they were retailed too.

Consumers had always relied upon dedicated sta in department stores to help them co-ordinate and choose textile products for the home. With the introduction of Christy buying guides, customers could now use these to be creative and choose the look they wanted to achieve for their home interiors.

Christy started providing consumers with care guides and selling features of why Christy products are the best.

Christy not only marketed a new way to shop in department stores, they also created co-ordinating towels and bed linen. This increased the customer’s investment in the brand by o ering that mix and match look.

The 1980’s

A new era

1980’s

A 1981 copy of Christy News reports on how women aged 20-50 are at the heart of the successful Christy marketing strategy, with an exclusive media spend in ‘Woman’ magazine.

Home interior trends in the 1980’s were all about creating a co-ordinated style. Colour trends moved towards much softer pastel shades with popular design features including stripes and frills.

The Christy bathrobe makes its appearance in 1981 and is still one of our core lines today. From light weight linen to long loop terry towelling in a vast array of colours we have something for everyone whatever their style.

Our love affair with sport

Christy became o cial towel supplier to The Championships, Wimbledon in 1987.

The Wimbledon brand is synonymous not only with The Championships but also with quality, tradition and heritage. It is therefore no surprise that the relationship shared has continued for over three decades.

Our love a air with sport has continued over the years with products being produced under license for football, cricket, rugby and horse racing events.

Manchester City F.C. Towels

Wimbledon - 2013 Towel

The Ashes - 2013 Towel

Wimbledon 2022

Wimbledon1988 towel

2000’s

The new Millennium

2003:

Using a strong knowledge of cotton gained from towel production, Christy launch a new bed linen collection.

This boasts high thread counts, intricate embroidery and beautifully woven designs in a combination of classic and contemporary styling.

2006:

Christy entered a joint venture with the Welspun group, where Welspun took control of 85% of shares.

The head o ce remained in England with its knowledgeable workforce. Welspun bought the remaining 15% in 2008.

2010:

Christy celebrated its 160th birthday and in honour created a luxury limited edition Heritage Royal Turkish towel. The design was based on the first ever woven towels, presented to Her Majesty, Queen Victoria in 1851.

2012:

Christy donated archive materials from 1833-1966 to the John Ryland’s library in Manchester to preserve for future generations.

2020:

Christy celebrated its 170th birthday and in honour created a special anniversary logo, alongside a commemorative range of products which all had a subtle nod to Christy’s heritage.