The Historical Background of Conqueror Paper

Origins: During the Victorian era, handmade paper was costly and produced in limited quantities. The market urgently demanded affordable, high-end paper that combined the texture of handmade paper with the efficiency of machine production. E.P. Barlow, Managing Director of London stationery firm Wiggins Teape, conceived the idea of “affordable, high-quality imitation handmade watermarked paper” to replace traditional handmade paper.

Initial Production: Most mills refused to produce at Barlow's price point. Ultimately, Henry Hobday, owner of Dover's Buckland Mill (recently ravaged by fire and desperate for orders), accepted the contract. The first batch of Ganc paper rolled off the presses in 1888, featuring the “London Castle” watermark in its inaugural edition.

Rapid Integration: By 1890, Wiggins Teape acquired Buckland Mill, unifying production and distribution channels to establish long-term quality control foundations.

Watermark Evolution: Watermark designs were refined in the early 20th century. The 1990s saw adoption of the “Knight + Conqueror” composite watermark, becoming the brand's iconic anti-counterfeiting and quality symbol.

Process Refinement: Established classic textures like Wove and Laid, introduced a chlorine-free bleached wood pulp + cotton linters blend to enhance fiber bonding and durability, adapting to the widespread adoption of offset printing technology.

Market Expansion: Leveraging consistent quality and unified visual identity, gradually penetrated European and North American markets, becoming the preferred paper for government correspondence and financial institution documents. During WWII, it was also used for critical military and diplomatic correspondence.