William Miller Christy

William Miller Christy (1778–1858) was an English Quaker hat and textile manufacturer, known also as a banker.

[3] The firm developed manufacturing interests in Bermondsey and Stockport, and Christy was a founder of the London Joint Stock Bank.

The immediate challenge of the panic of 1825 was handled with the support of Hanbury & Co., the bank's London associates.

[5] The bank was sold in 1829, and Christy acquired capital, with which he entered the cotton business, in Stockport and then Droylsden.

[3] In 1841 the Christy Bermondsey works was reputedly the largest manufacturer of hats in the world and had 500 employees;[6][7] silk coverings for hats were made in Stockport, and the factory there had more workers.