Roots date back in Spain to 1788, but established in London by 1852 by Spanish nobleman Don Jose Carreras Ferrer; gained Royal Warrant in 1866; remained a family business until 1894 when taken over by W J Yapp; became a public company in 1903; acquired John Sinclair Ltd in 1929; in 1953 acquired R & J Hill Ltd and Murray, Sons & Co Ltd; merged with Rothmans in 1958.