Princess of Wales  Serial No. 88989.
Manufactured by Newton Wilson & Co. which was founded by William Newton Wilson who was one of the pioneers of the sewing machine industry in Great Britain and was involved in the sewing machine trade from 1851.
For many years the company imported machines such as the Boudoir and Grover & Baker machines from America. In 1864 Newton Wilson & Co. started manufacturing industrial sewing machines these were copies of Howe and Singer machines with production being undertaken at the factory of Campion & Johnson, Woolpack Lane, Nottingham.

The firms first domestic machines were produced in 1866, these were both chain stitch models known as the Queen Mab (Patented 14th Feb 1866) and the Cleopatra which were capable of producing 500 and 1000 stitches per minute respectively. The Company’s factory moved to Pope Street, Birmingham a year later and the its first lock-stitch machine – the Penelope was introduced as was a rotary principle machine known as the Dorcas.

In 1870 production of the highly ornate The Princess of Wales lock-stitch machine commenced, this was to form the mainstay of the firms sewing machine range and production of the Penelope was stopped with the Doras following suit a year later.

In 1874 a modified version of the Princess of Wales machine was added to the range, known as England’s Queen it had the facility to produce herringbone stitch. A portable light weight machine - the Queen Bess was also introduced in this year. In 1875 production commenced of further models - The Queen O’ Scots and Wilson’s Patent Singer. By 1876 Wilson’s Patent Whistler was also being manufactured.

It appears in 1879 Newton Wilson may have split the company into two separate operations with the manufacturing being carried out by The St. George’s Foundry Company at the Pope Street factory. The retail side continued to be undertaken by Newton Wilson & Co. at 144 High Holborn London until 1883 when a new Depot at 102 Southampton Row London was opened. What prompted this division is not clear but in the same year Newton Wilson suffered a severe accident.

In 1884 The St George’s Foundry Co. was advertising that it was the sole manufacturer of the Princess of Wales machine and other machines with surviving examples having "Made by The St. George's Foundry Co." on them. Other machines produced by the companies were: Tower c1876, Perfection c1877 & a machine known as Wallace Ash c1880.

Newton Wilson & Co ceased trading c1891 less than a year after Newton Wilson had left, sadly he did not enjoy a long and happy retirement for he died in 1894 aged 67 after a long illness.