It is my great pleasure to announce that Watts & Co. has acquired the J. Wippell & Co. brand.
Our two ecclesiastical companies have been working as neighbours for many years, and we are both heirs to hundreds of years of history and craftsmanship. So it was not without some regret that we learnt that Wippells was to cease trading in 2023.
Though some areas of our business overlapped, I was dismayed at the possibility that such a remarkable company with its know-how, its fascinating archives, and its wide range of garment patterns, would be lost to history. As one of the oldest ecclesiastical supply companies (it was founded in 1789), Wippells possesses a unique history and knowledge of the clerical, academic, and church wear market. Combining our common history felt right, and I am glad of the opportunity to incorporate the brand into the Watts & Co. family business.
Watts & Co. was founded by my ancestor, George Gilbert Scott Jr, along with two other eminent Gothic Revival architects, Thomas Garner and George Frederick Bodley, in 1874. Alongside the Wippells brand, we will have a combined history of 385 years! With the commemoration of our 150th anniversary this year, I am grateful that we now have another cause for celebration. We are inspired by the 235 years of Wippells’ service to the Church, and we look forward to nurturing such a historic brand alongside our own.
Robert Hoare
CEO of Watts & Co.
