Mariners endure some of the most inhospitable conditions imaginable, facing gale-force winds, driving rain, and crashing waves. The need for weather protection at sea spurred innovations leading to British Millerain’s development of high-quality waxed cottons, including Filson’s Tin Cloth.
Fifteenth-century sailors discovered that treating their flax canvas sailcloth with fish oils and tars shielded them against foul weather and ocean spray. These crude oil treatments helped sails resist becoming soaked and heavy, which made ships more efficient. Mariners soon realized they could fashion oilcloths into capes, smocks and slickers like crude raincoats. This novel discovery made life at sea more comfortable and far safer.
By the 1700s, sailcloth had evolved from heavy-duty flax to lighter, more efficient fabrics made of finer yarns and robust two-fold construction. Raingear made from this more malleable sailcloth allowed greater freedom of movement for the sailors. The fabric mill Francis Webster Ltd perfected the art of treating woven cotton with linseed oil, which the Royal Navy quickly adopted. However, there was a downside to using linseed oil: the finish becomes brittle in cold temperatures and can crack, negating its ability to resist water entry.
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In the late 1800’s the United Kingdom’s British Millerain began developing new fabric treatments with paraffin wax. Wax creates a weatherproof finish that is more stable and longer-lasting than one created with linseed oil. A small group of laborers and academics founded British Millerain in 1880 and created its first factory in Halifax, Yorkshire. John Miller and his son John were the guiding lights of this team. The son designed and built the patented textile pressing and finishing machine, which gave the “Millerain” product its edge.
In 1890, British Millerain obtained patents to sell throughout Europe and America. Coinciding with this, Francis Webster and other weaving mills realized the superiority of this new waxed treatment and began sending their woven and dyed fabrics to British Millerain for finishing. Francis Webster exported their waxed products to New Zealand under the name Japara, which was very well received. Following this success, UK country- and motorcycle-attire brands became iconic with waxed-cotton clothing as their foundation.
No other companies had the in-house ability to finish waxed cotton or the machinery and processes that British Millerain had. By the late 1890s, British Millerain was selling tightly woven cotton as paraffin-treated khaki drill fabric to military troops worldwide—the precursor to Filson’s iconic oil finish Tin Cloth. Clinton C. Filson, who moved to Seattle in the 1890s, obtained our early waxed cottons from traders who brought British Millerain to North America. Since our earliest days, Filson Tin Cloth jackets and pants made from British Millerain’s waxed cotton have been in high demand for weather protection in rugged conditions
Through the 1900s, British Millerain continued to expand its expertise and client base, its reputation grew, and it acquired several other smaller companies, including Francis Webster. The company incorporated more spinners and weavers, strengthening its textile abilities further. In 2013, it acquired Century Dyers, a dyeing synthetics and cotton specialist. In 2014, £500,000 was invested in new dyeing machinery, factory renovation, and state-of-the-art digital printers. In 2016, British Millerain won the Drapers Award for Fashion Supplier of the Year.
One hundred thirty years later, British Millerain supplies waxed fabric to the armed forces and people who work and play in the countryside. It makes everything from proofers and shrinkers to dyers, coaters, and finishers. In addition to its waxed cotton, it uses beeswax and soy wax, washable wax, coated and bonded cotton, and various dry finishes.
