Silver Cross is a British manufacturer of wheeled baby transport, and is traditionally associated with large, four-wheel baby carriages that featured wooden bodies and leaf spring suspension.
The company was founded in 1877 by William Wilson, a former postman of Leeds. He set up his first workshop in Silver Cross Street in Hunslet to manufacture perambulators with a unique design of folding hood and heavy spring suspension. By 1897, the company had grown to the extent that new premises were required and the 'Silver Cross Works' were completed on White House Street.
The company was awarded a royal warrant before William's death in 1913. The business was continued by his three sons, James, Irwin and Alfred and had developed extensively by 1936 when a move to even larger premises, in Guiseley, was required.
Silver Cross continued its connection with the British royal family and presented special models: in 1948 for Prince Charles and in 1977 for Peter Phillips. The brand was marketed as a luxury item, reinforced by the royal warrant.