The company claim to be the oldest clock manufacturer in the world, originally established in 1690,[1] and have been part of the Smith of Derby Group since 1965.

William Joyce began in the North Shropshire village of Cockshutt making longcase clocks.

The family business was handed down from father to son and in 1790 moved to High Street, Whitchurch, Shropshire.

In 1834 Thomas Joyce made large clocks for local churches and public buildings.

B. Joyce continued to operate as a separate company, with mainly heritage work being carried out in the factory up to 2012, when a timed-bid auction was held to sell off surplus equipment, tools, and clock parts, at the Station Road premises.