Justin Vulliamy, an ancestor, coming to England in 1704 to study the construction of English clocks and watches, under one Benjamin Gray, finally succeeded to his master's business at 68 Pall Mall, after having married his daughter.

The old shop was situated at 52 Pall Mall, (where the Marlborough Club stood from 1868 until 1953)[2][3] The firm obtained the appointment of Clockmakers to the Crown in 1742, which it held for 112 years.

[5] Succeeding to the business in 1811, he went on to erect clocks for several important buildings including palaces, churches and the cathedral at Calcutta (see list below for further details).

[9] Benjamin Lewis Vulliamy was elected associate of the Institution of Civil Engineers on 13 March 1838, was auditor for the year 1842, and obtained in 1846 a premium of books for a paper on railway clocks.

He was made free of the Clockmakers' Company on 4 December 1809, admitted to the livery in January 1810, and five times filled the office of master.

[4] Neither of his sons followed him in business and his stock of 170 gold watches and 100 clocks and cases was sold by Christine and Manson, King Street, St James’s on 8 June 1854.