Lock & Co. Hatters

Lock & Co. Hatters, the oldest hat shop in the world, was established in London by James Lock and Mary Davis in 1676. Starting from a coffee house that sold imported coffee, chocolate, and tobacco on St. James's Street, Lock & Co. Hatters grew into a hat shop that catered to the fashionable upper classes, including the great Whig families of Marlborough, Bedford, Devonshire, and Walpole. The shop became the hatter of choice for lords and leaders, such as Prime Minister Lord Grenville. Its international reputation was established by a transatlantic order for a "fine beaver hat" from New York. Over the years, Lock & Co. Hatters continued to thrive, creating new styles and serving distinguished customers such as Admiral Lord Nelson, Sir Winston Churchill, and Oscar Wilde.