THREE sisters whose family founded a hat-making business 240 years ago visited its Witney factory for the first time yesterday.

Caroline Cannon-Brookes, Charlotte Beatson and Lydia McClure were given a tour around Christy’s in Witan Park industrial estate by managing director Steve Clarke.

The company was founded by their ancestor Miller Christy but it has not been in their family since it was sold in 1960s, when their father John Christie-Miller was chairman.

Oxford resident Mrs Beatson said: “It was very interesting and lovely to see the name still continues.

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“They are doing tremendous work and they have great plans. Hats are going to come back into fashion in a big way and Christy’s is at the forefront of that.

“My father, who died seven years ago, would have been delighted to see the family name continuing and being in such great hands.”

The company, founded in 1773, was passed through eight generations of the Christy family and was the world’s largest hat manufacturer at the end of the 19th Century.

It had major production facilities in Stockport and London but became part of the Associated British Hat Manufacturers Ltd about 50 years ago, when the family relinquished control.

The company moved to Witney in 2000 and is currently owned by Liberty of London.

It was only when Mrs Cannon-Brookes, from Abingdon, visited its London store and told staff it was originally her family’s company that she was invited to visit.


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