William Offley founded the eponymous wine merchant in London in 1737 and soon began importing Port to the UK. By 1787, Offley was described as 'one of the most considerable English houses at Porto'. The house became famous for its association with Joseph James Forrester, later the Baron of Forrester, who came to Porto in 1831 to join his uncle, James Forrester, who was a partner in what was then Offley, Forrester and Webber. By the middle of the 1800s, Offley was the third largest exporter of Port. The Baron of Forrester became famous for mapping the Douro, and for painting many of its landscapes.