The history of Imperial Tobacco that manufactured Richmond cigarettes begins in 1786. In the city of Bristol (south-west of England), Henry Overton Wills opened a private tobacco store. After his death, the family business was continued by his children. The products were made by hand, and since 1888 the company began to use an apparatus for twisting cigarettes, patented by James Albert Bonsack in 1880. At the end of the XIX century, production expanded and opened in English cities: Glasgow, Dublin, London. The whole family is involved in the tobacco business, the most recent, until the middle of the XX century, worked great-great-grandson Henry.

In 1953, Henry Wils’ business was acquired by Thomas Ogden’s firm. Liverpool Tobacco (Ogden) opened its first stores in 1860, but by 1890 the company had grown to six factories and several stores with Richmond cigarettes.

On the territory of North America, the American Tobacco Company is developing and by the beginning of the XX century it acquires all the enterprises of the British tobacco market. Thus, the Imperial Tobacco Company Limited was formed (1901), which included thirteen family tobacco companies in Ireland and Great Britain. The important standard taken into account in the production of Richmond cigarettes is the level of CO (carbon monoxide) formed during the combustion of organic substances during smoking. In Richmond cigarettes, this figure is from 5 to 8 milligrams and does not exceed the standard of 10 milligrams.

What are Richmond cigarettes?

As an independent brand, Richmond cigarettes separated from the large Canadian corporation Imperial Tobacco in 1968. A distinctive feature of this production line is a new filter that significantly reduced the concentration of solid resins in the inhaled smoke. This was thought until 1970, when studies determined that filtration rates were inflated and did not exceed standards. Independent production was suspended and resumed only in 1999. Richmond cigarettes were produced for British tobacco connoisseurs. Richmond cigarettes were produced larger than other Imperial products, which gave the name “royal” cigars. Richmond cigarettes became admired by Australian tobacco smokers as well.