Smith Blankets (Witney) Ltd was founded by William Smith in the 1850s and was established at Bridge Street by 1866, whilst Crawley Mill, used for fulling, bleaching and dying was purchased in 1879. The company were originally known as mop makers but by the turn of the century had moved to blanket production and from the 1920s were known for their 'Witnedown' with the tag line 'Witnedown covers the World'. During World War II the mill was used for medical equipment storage and afterwards production methods were modernised by Sidney Smith, the company being a major employer in Witney. The company was known under various names; from 1866 William Smith & Co., from 1904 W. Smith & Co., Witney, Limited, from 1920 W. Smith & Co. and J. & N. Philips Co. (Witney) Ltd and from 1966 Smiths Blankets (Witney) Limited. The business remained controlled by the Smith family until 1967 when it was taken over by the General Guarantee Corporation of America. It was then sold to Slater Walker, then to Bodycoat and finally to the Yorkshire based Moderna Ltd in 1972. Smiths Blankets (Witney) Ltd closed in 1975.
The records consist of production records such as the blend books and other financial records including order books and travelling salesman records. There is also a comprehensive set of material relating to staff wages especially covering the 1950s-1960s.
The material was deposited as Acc 1216 in February 1976. Catalogued by Alison Smith in October 2022.