A Short History

William Ross started his business in 1826 in John Street, at the heart of the Legal Community of Bristol, producing documents that had to be copied in copperplate onto skin. It was an occupation that required extensive skill and ability.

In 1884 William Ross formed a partnership with his nephew Alfred Ross, and W & A Ross was created. William died just a few years later, and Alfred inherited the company that he had worked so hard for. He employed a number of law writers to work for him, and in the days when the quill was still being used his staff sometimes had to work around the clock to ensure that deadlines were met. Today we still boast a quill in our logo as a reminder of the lengths we still go to in order to ensure customer satisfaction.

As the years moved on, one of Alfred's sons was brought into the company, but sadly died during the first world war, followed by Alfred in 1920. Hubert Ross, Alfred's brother, then took up the reins, but the arrival of World War II took its toll and the company actually closed for several years. It wasn't until 1945 that it re-opened in taylor court, one of the most famous doorways in Bristol.

In 1948, Hubert's son, Ivan Ross, joined the company. Moving with the times, he helped transform the business by shifting the emphasis to legal and general stationery. This was the only way forward as hand written documents were no longer needed thanks to the advent, and popularity, of the typewriter.

In 1962 the company moved to the premises on Fairfax Street and experienced a further 32 years of prosperity. Since 1994 when Ivan Ross decided to take a well earned retirement, we, the new owners, have moved from strength to strength. Using the Solid base that we'd inherited we've introduced only a few changes - we are now Ross Office Supplies, offering our customers a one stop shop.