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The oldest public limited companies

The 100 oldest PLCs on the register, in order of incorporation. The oldest is Lloyds Bank PLC, incorporated 20/04/1865 and still on the register 161 years later.

1865Oldest incorporation still on the register

72Of these 100 predate 1900

83Not in liquidation or facing strike off

72PLCs on the whole register predating 1900

Incorporation date is not trading history. A company incorporated in 1865 may have been dormant for a century, and a business trading since 1700 may sit in a company incorporated last year. This ranks the legal entity on the register, which is the only thing the register can tell you.

In order of incorporation

1 Lloyds Bank PLC

00002065 · London

20/04/1865
161 yrs

2 The Investment Company PLC

00004205 · Teignmouth

14/11/1868
157 yrs

3 Methodist Insurance Public Limited Company

00006369 · Gloucester

19/06/1872
154 yrs

4 Barnagore Jute Factory Plc(The)

00006480 · London

22/07/1872
154 yrs

5 The Scottish American Investment Company P L C

SC000489 · Edinburgh

29/03/1873
153 yrs

6 Penrith Farmers And Kidds Public Limited Company(The)

00010553 · Penrith

01/05/1876
150 yrs

7 Ulverston Auction Mart Public Limited Company(The)

00011717 · Cumbria

22/09/1877
149 yrs

8 F&C Investment Trust PLC

00012901 · London

15/03/1879
147 yrs

9 Dunedin Income Growth Investment Trust PLC

SC000881 · Edinburgh

24/03/1879
147 yrs

10 Hsbc Bank PLC

00014259

01/07/1880
146 yrs

11 Jpmorgan American Investment Trust PLC

00015543 · London

18/06/1881
145 yrs

12 Newton Chambers & Company Public Limited Company

00015997 · Birmingham Business Park

24/10/1881
144 yrs

13 Titaghur PLC

SC001273 · Edinburgh

16/08/1883
143 yrs

14 Pz Cussons PLC

00019457 · Manchester

20/02/1884
142 yrs

15 The Mercantile Investment Trust PLC

00020537 · London

08/12/1884
141 yrs

16 Harland And Wolff, Public Limited Company

R0000283 · Belfast

22/12/1885
140 yrs

17 Wynnstay Properties Public Limited Company

00022473 · London

09/04/1886
140 yrs

18 Cardiff Property Public Limited Company(The)

00022705 · Egham

31/05/1886
140 yrs

19 Diageo PLC

00023307 · London

21/10/1886
139 yrs

20 Jpmorgan Global Growth & Income PLC

00024299 · London

21/04/1887
139 yrs

21 The Scottish Investment Trust PLC

SC001651 · Edinburgh · Liquidation

27/07/1887
139 yrs

22 Ecclesiastical Insurance Office Public Limited Company

00024869 · Gloucester

03/08/1887
139 yrs

23 The Henderson Smaller Companies Investment Trust PLC

00025526 · London

16/12/1887
138 yrs

24 The Bankers Investment Trust PLC

00026351 · London

13/04/1888
138 yrs

25 Alliance Witan PLC

SC001731 · Dundee

21/04/1888
138 yrs

26 The Boots Company PLC

00027657

07/11/1888
137 yrs

27 Antofagasta Railway Company PLC

00027767 · London

27/11/1888
137 yrs

28 Avi Global Trust PLC

00028203 · London

06/02/1889
137 yrs

29 The Global Smaller Companies Trust PLC

00028264 · London

15/02/1889
137 yrs

30 Merchants Trust Plc(The)

00028276 · London

16/02/1889
137 yrs

31 Lister & Co. Public Limited Company

00028296 · 14 King Street Leeds

20/02/1889
137 yrs

32 The Edinburgh Investment Trust Public Limited Company

SC001836 · Edinburgh

01/03/1889
137 yrs

33 Whitbread Group PLC

00029423 · Porz Avenue Dunstable

25/07/1889
137 yrs

34 Camellia Public Limited Company

00029559 · Near Sevenoaks

15/08/1889
137 yrs

35 James Cropper Public Limited Company

00030226 · Cumbria

29/11/1889
136 yrs

36 The Law Debenture Corporation P.L.C.

00030397 · London

12/12/1889
136 yrs

37 Heavitree Brewery Plc(The)

00030800 · Matford

07/02/1890
136 yrs

38 Adnams PLC

00031114 · Suffolk

24/03/1890
136 yrs

39 Marston'S PLC

00031461 · Wolverhampton

14/05/1890
136 yrs

40 Davies Turner PLC

00062270 · Coleshill

25/05/1890
136 yrs

41 Samuel Heath And Sons Public Limited Company

00031942 · Birmingham

09/07/1890
136 yrs

42 Young & Co'S Brewery PLC

00032762 · Wandsworth

17/11/1890
135 yrs

43 Avon Technologies PLC

00032965 · Melksham

23/12/1890
135 yrs

44 Johnson Matthey PLC

00033774 · Royston

11/04/1891
135 yrs

45 The City Of London Investment Trust PLC

00034871 · London

26/09/1891
135 yrs

46 John Foster & Son Public Limited Company

00035160 · Liquidation

11/11/1891
134 yrs

47 H&H Group PLC

00036006 · Carlisle

15/03/1892
134 yrs

48 Gbe International PLC

SC002354 · Glasgow · Liquidation

27/07/1892
134 yrs

49 Robinson PLC

00039811 · Chesterfield

25/10/1893
132 yrs

50 Halma Public Limited Company

00040932 · Amersham

13/04/1894
132 yrs

51 Unilever PLC

00041424 · Merseyside

21/06/1894
132 yrs

52 00042603 P.L.C.

00042603 · London

29/11/1894
131 yrs

53 Willoughby'S Consolidated Public Limited Company

00042769 · Hove

13/12/1894
131 yrs

54 Weir PLC

SC002934 · Glasgow

14/06/1895
131 yrs

55 Hydro Hotel, Eastbourne, Public Limited Company

00044514

04/07/1895
131 yrs

56 General Intelligence PLC

SC003234 · Edinburgh

01/07/1896
130 yrs

57 Dunedin Worldwide Investment Trust PLC

SC003243 · Edinburgh · Liquidation

15/07/1896
130 yrs

58 Barclays PLC

00048839 · London

20/07/1896
130 yrs

59 Daniel Thwaites Public Limited Company

00051702 · Blackburn

17/03/1897
129 yrs

60 Celtic PLC

SC003487

12/04/1897
129 yrs

61 White & Co PLC

00052204 · Southampton

20/04/1897
129 yrs

62 Zigup PLC

00053171 · Darlington

02/07/1897
129 yrs

63 London Security PLC.

00053417 · Elland

21/07/1897
129 yrs

64 Pearson PLC

00053723

12/08/1897
129 yrs

65 00053879 Public Limited Company

00053879 · London · Liquidation

27/08/1897
129 yrs

66 Abrdn Diversified Income And Growth PLC

SC003721 · Edinburgh · Liquidation

05/01/1898
128 yrs

67 James Lindsay & Son Public Limited Company

SC004069 · Livingston

01/12/1898
127 yrs

68 Macfarlane Group PLC

SC004221 · Glasgow

15/04/1899
127 yrs

69 Sanderson Design Group PLC

00061880 · London

03/05/1899
127 yrs

70 00062246 PLC

00062246 · Chertsey

24/05/1899
127 yrs

71 Sheffield Wednesday PLC

00062478 · Active - Proposal to Strike off

08/06/1899
127 yrs

72 John Williams Industries PLC

00064330 · Swansea Enterprise Park,

28/11/1899
126 yrs

73 James Latham Public Limited Company

00065619 · Hemel Hempstead

07/04/1900
126 yrs

74 00065986 PLC

00065986 · 33 Wellington Street · Liquidation

19/05/1900
126 yrs

75 L & K Group PLC

00066426 · Milnthorpe

29/06/1900
126 yrs

76 G.B. Kent & Sons PLC

00066471 · Hemel Hempstead

02/07/1900
126 yrs

77 Camomile Lines PLC

00070587 · London · Liquidation

24/06/1901
125 yrs

78 Pavilion Leisure PLC

SC005064 · RECEIVERSHIP

08/04/1902
124 yrs

79 Rockwell Printing Machinery PLC

00074214 · Cardiff · Liquidation

02/07/1902
124 yrs

80 Nidar (UK) PLC

00075422 · London · Liquidation

14/11/1902
123 yrs

81 The North American Income Trust PLC

SC005218 · Edinburgh

20/11/1902
123 yrs

82 Ai (Bullers) PLC

00075787 · London

19/12/1902
123 yrs

83 Paul Speak Group PLC

00076446 · Leeds · Liquidation

19/02/1903
123 yrs

84 Tate & Lyle Public Limited Company

00076535 · London

27/02/1903
123 yrs

85 Chamberlin PLC

00076928 · W Midlands · Liquidation

03/04/1903
123 yrs

86 Relx PLC

00077536

28/05/1903
123 yrs

87 Ryesekks P.L.C.

00077603 · London · Liquidation

05/06/1903
123 yrs

88 Viaduct Holdings PLC

00077675 · Lees Street · Liquidation

11/06/1903
123 yrs

89 Swan Hunter Group Public Limited Company

00077709 · Manchester · Liquidation

15/06/1903
123 yrs

90 Axa Insurance UK PLC

00078950 · London

27/10/1903
122 yrs

91 Paine, Manwaring, & Lephard, Public Limited Company

00079350 · Worthing

07/12/1903
122 yrs

92 Touchstar PLC

SC005543 · Glasgow

24/02/1904
122 yrs

93 Newbury Racecourse PLC

00080774 · Berks

26/04/1904
122 yrs

94 A.G. Barr P.L.C.

SC005653 · Cumbernauld

30/06/1904
122 yrs

95 Reach PLC

00082548 · London

11/11/1904
121 yrs

96 Karlshamns UK Holdings PLC

00083553 · Hull

13/02/1905
121 yrs

97 Baptist Insurance Company PLC The

00083597 · Gloucester

17/02/1905
121 yrs

98 Heart Of Midlothian PLC

SC005863 · Edinburgh

29/04/1905
121 yrs

99 Tr Property Investment Trust PLC

00084492 · London

05/05/1905
121 yrs

100 Michelin Tyre Public Limited Company

00084559 · Stoke-On-Trent

11/05/1905
121 yrs