In 1810, John Knight started making candles and soaps, in his spare time, using scraps of material from his job working for a grocer in London. In 1817, John Knight Soap Works was officially established in the industrial area of Wapping, East London. He left home at the age of 15, with only the money in his pocket, and set off to try and make his fortune in London. To enable personalised advertising (like interest-based ads), we may share your data with our marketing and advertising partners using cookies and other technologies.

You can change your choices at any time by visiting Cookie preferences, as described in the Cookie notice. com, the Sell on Etsy app, and the Etsy app, as well as the electricity that powers Etsy’s global offices and employees working remotely from home in the US. Personalised advertising may be considered a “sale” or “sharing” of information under California and other state privacy laws, and you may have a right to opt out. John Knight was born 25 December 1792 according to two versions of the hand-written Quaker birth certificate. John Knight was born on Christmas Day in 1792 [note 1] to a large Quaker family of farmers in Hertfordshire, England.To this ladies did not object, because the soap had a wonderfully beneficial effect upon the complexion. The soap of those early days was dark in color, and the consumption small; Knight revolutionized the trade by manufacturing a high-quality pale yellow soap, which he named "Primrose Soap". Keep in mind that anyone can view public collections - they may also appear in recommendations and other places.

It is commonly believed that the Crusaders brought Aleppo soap back to Europe with them in the 11th century.

The ratings/reviews displayed here may not be representative of every listing on this page, or of every review for these listings. In 1919 when the brand was introduced during the flu pandemic, Knight’s growing soap company employed 1,200 people. Knight saw an untapped demand for soap while working in the working-class neighborhood of Wapping in East London. Hearst UK is the trading name of the National Magazine Company Ltd, 30 Panton Street, Leicester Square, London, SW1Y 4AJ. These 4 or 5-star reviews represent the opinions of the individuals who posted them and do not reflect the views of Etsy.

John Knight (25 December 1792 – 6 April 1864) was an English businessman and founder of John Knight Soap Works in London, which later became The Royal Primrose Soap Works.The location near the River Thames allowed for the supply of raw materials and easy distribution of products by river or road.