Yardley of London - History

History

Yardley London is famous as a purveyor of luxury fragrances and soaps. House of Yardley was born in England in the mid-seventeenth century, during the reign of king Charles I of England. An entrepreneurial young man named Jonathan Yardley obtained a royal warrant for the provision of all the soap to City of London. The means by which this warrant was obtained are lost to history, however we might suppose it involved payment to the monarch of a sizeable, and no doubt welcome, sum. This first incarnation of Yardley was lost, as was so much of the old city, in the Great Fire of London of 1666; save for one detail – that lavender should be used to perfume the soaps.

A century later, in 1770, the Cleaver family re-established Yardley London, creating the soap and perfumery business we know today. Through astute business and a convenient marriage the Yardley family once again became involved in this operation, and by the early 1800s Yardley London was back in family hands. In the following years the business thrived and prospered, its famous advertising becoming a hallmark of the Victorian times. So to 1880, and with the Victorian era at its height Yardley exported its first products to the USA, a range of English lavender soaps. Nearly a century of gradual expansion followed, first to Australia and then across the world. A succession of Royal Warrants, innovations and new products were testament to the popularity of the quintessential English fragrance.

Since the House of Yardley was established in 1770, lavender has remained its signature scent, and Yardley dedicated itself to understanding and appreciating every nuance of the plant. In the 1930s Yardley commissioned scientists to scour the globe for the most sought after varieties, which lead to the discovery of Lavandula angustifolia. This unique species is still grown in England today and forms the basis of their signature range.