Gresham Press [Unwin Brothers Ltd] (London, printer/publisher, est. 1826)

Unwin Brothers originated in the enterprise founded by Jacob Unwin (1802–1855), who entered the printing trade as an apprentice in 1816 and established his business in Cornhill, London, in 1826. Expanding steadily, the firm moved to larger premises at Bucklersbury in 1834 and adopted steam-powered printing in the 1840s. After Jacob Unwin’s death in 1855, the business passed to his sons, George Unwin (1838–1906) and Edward Unwin (1840–1933), under whom it continued to grow. New London premises were established in Oxford Court (1865) and Pilgrim Street (1885), alongside country works at Chilworth and, after a fire in 1895, at Old Woking, where the firm operated under the name “The Gresham Press.” Both sites utilized adapted paper mills, incorporating water turbines and later additional mechanical power to drive large-scale printing operations.

In 1902 the firm was incorporated as a private limited company under the name “The Gresham Press,” with Edward Unwin as chairman and members of the Unwin family as directors. Despite substantial turnover in the mid-twentieth century, profitability declined, leading to its integration into the Staples Printing Group in 1964. The business continued to operate with relative continuity, subsequently becoming part of the Martins Printing Group (from 1986) and later MPG Impressions (from 2006). The historic Old Woking site remained in use until its closure in 2007, when operations were transferred to Chessington.