The company was founded in 1851 by two young men from Fife, Scotland, Alexander Balfour and Stephen Williamson.
In 1848 he went to Liverpool, and there founded, with Alexander Balfour, the firm of Balfour Williamson, trading with South America with offices in Valparaiso, Chile and San Francisco.
Stephen King | Stephen Sondheim | Stephen Fry | Stephen Harper | Stephen Hawking | Stephen Stills | Stephen | Stephen Frears | Stephen Crane | Stephen Foster | St. Stephen's College, Delhi | Stephen Hendry | Stephen Gardiner | Stephen Rea | Stephen Jay Gould | Stephen F. Austin | Stephen Colbert | David Williamson | Stephen Breyer | Robin Williamson | Stephen Thomas Erlewine | Stephen Merchant | Stephen Chow | Marcus Stephen | Stephen Spender | Stephen Lewis | Stephen Kovacevich | James Fitzjames Stephen | Williamson County | St. Stephen |
Williamson was the son of Stephen Williamson who represented St Andrews and Kilmarnock in the House of Commons.