Its earliest constituent company, Atherton and Whalley, was founded in 1795, although Butterworth Brothers formed in the 1860s. In 1886 it became limited company, when William Butterworth, became the first Managing Director. His son, Walter Butterworth, was Chairman of the Company from 1894 until 1935, and then Walter's son, Lionel Angus-Butterworth, became Secretary.

The Company were specialists in industrial glassware, lighting glassware and surgical glass, and were contractors to the Government.