OVER 250 YEARS OF DISCOVERY <strong>Cox</strong> & <strong>Kings</strong>, the longest established travel company in the world, marked its 250th anniversary in 2008. The company’s history stretches back to 25 May 1758 when Richard <strong>Cox</strong> was appointed as regimental agent to the Foot Guards by his mentor, Lord Ligonier, the commander-in-chief of His Majesty’s Armed Forces. The role of agent included the arrangement of payment of officers and men, the provision of clothing, acting as a go-between for the buying and selling of officers’ commissions, and acting upon any special requests from the regimental adjutant. Regimental agents did not have a very good reputation before <strong>Cox</strong>, but such was his honesty, reliability and organisational ability that he made it a respectable business and <strong>Cox</strong> & Co soon became the agent for the majority of British regiments. By the end of the 18th century the company served 14 cavalry, 64 infantry and 17 militia regiments. The company’s business grew hand in hand with the British empire, becoming involved in banking and shipping in addition to its other agency activities. Henry S King & Co, a rival bank and shipping agency, was started by Henry Samuel King in 1868 and subsequently run for more than 45 years by his son, Henry Seymour King, an MP and renowned mountaineer. The company had particularly strong links with India. After the first world war, the two companies merged as <strong>Cox</strong>’s & King’s and moved into grand premises on Pall Mall (now the site of the Sofitel St James Hotel). In 1923, the business was sold to Lloyds Bank and, while the banking arm stayed with Lloyds (becoming the <strong>Cox</strong> & <strong>Kings</strong> branch, as it is still known), the shipping agency became a separate company, running tours and organising the passage of people and their belongings around the world, notably to Egypt, India and south Asia. In 1970, <strong>Cox</strong> & <strong>Kings</strong> Agency was bought by Grindlays Bank as part of a deal with the then Indian prime minister, Indira Gandhi, to develop tourism into the country; and so the modern history of the company began. <strong>Cox</strong> & <strong>Kings</strong> has built on the tradition of high quality service and attention to detail established by Richard <strong>Cox</strong> more than 250 years ago and it now provides travel arrangements of the highest calibre in many of the most culturally and naturally fascinating parts of the world. The company has extended its expertise to cover Africa, Australia, the Caribbean, <strong>Europe</strong>, the Far East, the Indian Ocean, the Indian Subcontinent, Latin America, the Middle East and New Zealand.
Venice, Italy