A Rich Heritage

In the early 1900s, James Thomas Bigwood established a modest stationery shop in St Helier, the capital of Jersey. Initially catering to the island's basic stationery needs, it wasn't long before customers began requesting printed notepaper and calling cards. To meet this growing demand, 'J.T.' imported a small printing press — marking the beginning of a new chapter in the business.

Despite the challenges of the early 20th century, J.T. Bigwood's enterprise thrived. The shop soon evolved into "Bigwoods," a fully-fledged printing and binding company. Within a few years, Bigwoods became a local household name, supplying stationery to businesses across all sectors. The company also took on a vital publishing role, producing important books and journals for both private clients and the government — then known as the States of Jersey — which eventually appointed Bigwoods as their official printers.

Over the past century, Jersey has undergone significant economic and social transformation. Once reliant on agriculture and horticulture, the island later flourished through tourism, and today stands as a leading international offshore finance centre. Alongside this economic evolution, the ever-resilient island endured five years of occupation during World War II, economic downturns, global financial crises, a pandemic, two world wars, Brexit, Storm Ciarán, a few major television series, and the occasional local scandal.

Like a handful of other local businesses who have clocked up a century of trading, we're proud to have stood firm through it all. While we've always moved with the times and grown into a larger and more diverse operation, the core values that have sustained us for over a century remain unchanged: service, quality, fair pricing, honesty, integrity and humility. We never take our customers for granted, and we remain deeply grateful for their continued trust and loyalty.