William Henry Penhaligon (1837–1902) was a British barber and perfumer, the founder of the British perfume house Penhaligon's, and Court Barber and Perfumer to

Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until Death and state funeral of Queen Victoria, her death in January 1901. Her reign of 63 year ...

Early life

William Henry Penhaligon was born in 1837 in Madron,

Penzance Penzance ( ; ) is a town, civil parish and port in the Penwith district of Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is the westernmost major town in Cornwall and is about west-southwest of Plymouth and west-southwest of London. Situated in the ...

, Cornwall.

Career

In 1861, Penhaligon started a perfumers and barbers in Penzance. Turkish Baths in Jermyn Street

In 1869, Penhaligon moved to London, and worked as a barber at the London Hammam, the

Victorian Turkish baths The Victorian Turkish bath is a type of bath in which the bather sweats freely in hot dry air, is then washed, often massaged, and has a cold wash or shower. It can also mean, especially when used in the plural, an establishment where such a bath ...

at 76

Jermyn Street Jermyn Street is a One-way traffic, one-way street in the St James's area of the City of Westminster in London, England. It is to the south of, parallel, and adjacent to Piccadilly. Jermyn Street is known as a street for gentlemen's-clothing r ...

. In 1872, Penhaligon launched his first fragrance, ''Hammam Bouquet'', and in 1874 he took over the running of the baths' salon, and expanded it to offer perfumery and related items. In 1880, he went into business with his foreman, and Penhaligon's & Jeavons was founded, with premises a few doors away from the baths, also in Jermyn Street. Penhaligon died in 1902, and the following year they received their first Royal Warrant, from

Queen Alexandra Alexandra of Denmark (Alexandra Caroline Marie Charlotte Louise Julia; 1 December 1844 – 20 November 1925) was List of British royal consorts, queen-consort of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Empress of India, from 22 Januar ...

Personal life

In 1862, Penhaligon married Elisabeth, and they had four children, Clara, Ida, William and Walter.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Penhaligon, William Henry Perfumers British hairdressers 1837 births 1902 deaths People from Penzance British company founders 19th-century British businesspeople