Skip to content

Questions about Pryce Pryce-Jones

Short answers, pulled from the story.

When was Pryce Pryce-Jones born and where did he grow up?

Pryce Pryce-Jones was born on the 16th of October 1834 in Llanllwchaiarn. This village sits just outside Newtown in Montgomeryshire.

What year did Pryce Pryce-Jones open his first mail order business named Royal Welsh Warehouse?

Pryce Pryce-Jones opened his shop named the Royal Welsh Warehouse in 1859. The railway arrived in Newtown that same year to support the new enterprise.

Who was the first person to sell by mail order on a large scale according to historical records about Pryce Pryce-Jones?

Pryce Pryce-Jones became the first person to sell by mail order on a large scale. He dispatched goods by parcel post and train using the 1861 Pryce Jones catalogue as the world's first mail-order catalogue.

Did Pryce Pryce-Jones invent any military equipment during his lifetime?

Pryce Pryce-Jones is credited with the invention of the sleeping bag which he patented in 1876. He named it the Euklisia Rug for military use and secured a contract with the Russian Army for 60,000 rugs.

When did Queen Victoria knight Pryce Pryce-Jones and what political roles did he hold?

Queen Victoria knighted Pryce Pryce-Jones in 1887 when she acknowledged his success. He served as a Conservative Member of Parliament for Montgomery from 1885 to 1886 and again from 1892 to 1895 before becoming High Sheriff of Montgomeryshire in 1891.

What happened to the Royal Welsh Warehouse building after Pryce Pryce-Jones died in 1920?

The company was taken over by Lewis's of Liverpool in 1938 after Pryce Pryce-Jones died on the 11th of January 1920 at the age of 85. The tall red brick building constructed in 1879 still stands today in Newtown next to the railway line.