The business was founded by William Rathbone II by 1742 as a Liverpool-based timber trading business. In the 19th century it became a leading trader in cotton from the United States and in 1841 it became the Liverpool agent for the East India Company. In 1912 it abandoned its trading operations and focused on financial management, initially for the Rathbone family, but subsequently for the general public. In 1988 it merged with Comprehensive Financial Services Ltd to form Rathbone Brothers plc and thereby secured a listing on the London Stock Exchange. It changed its name from Rathbone Brothers to Rathbones Group on 1 December 2021.
