W.A. & A.C. Churchman


W.A. & A.C. Churchman was a British cigarette manufacturer based in Ipswich, Suffolk. The company was a subsidiary of Imperial Tobacco Co.

History

The firm was founded in Ipswich by William Churchman in 1790, beginning as a small pipe tobacco manufacturer with a shop at Hyde Park Corner. In 1888 William Alfred and Arthur Charles Churchman, grandsons of the founder, succeeded their father, Henry, in the business.

Cigarette cards

Churchman produced several sets of cigarette cards to advertise its products, beginning in the first years of 20th century, most of them related with sports, mostly association football sets. The first football set included rugby union players and appeared in 1909, featuring illustrated footballers of both codes in their clubs' shirts. Other football sets were released in 1914, 1938 and 1939 but only related to association football.
Churchman also released a railway series in 1935, and an athletes series in 1939.