Son of a spinning mill owner, Newton Wilson opened his own engineering workshop at Manchester in 1854, and his first London shop in 1857.

Amongst many objects sold was a Boudoir sewing machine from America, to which he gave great publicity. In 1866 N.W. started to produce his own brand of sewing machines, i.e. Queen Mab and Cleopatra. In 1867 he moved his manufacturing to St. Georges Foundry, Birmingham. His work force and design team included people later to become famous in other industries: James Starley (cycles), William Singer (cycles and cars), William Hillman (sewing machines), A.G. Baylis (needles) and Herbert (sewing machines and machine tools). From 1890 he devoted his time to writing a History of the Sewing Machine which he never finished.

In 1874 he discovered the Thomas Saint patent of 1790 and built a replica, which was donated to the Science Museum (inv. no. 1894-190).