William Teacher started work in a cotton mill aged seven; in 1830 he was employed by a small grocer in Glasgow. He married the owner's daughter, persuaded the firm to take out a licence to sell wines and spirits and expanded into 'dram shops'. These were basic public houses selling reliable spirits, with rules against buying rounds and having loud conversations; drunks and rowdies were quickly removed. Within twenty years he was the largest licence holder in Glasgow. By this time he had been joined in the business by his sons, Adam and William. Following the example of others they moved into wholesaling, providing special blends for specific customers. One of these became very popular, so they concentrated their energies on producing and marketing it as Teacher's Highland Cream (it was registered in 1884). Export growth was the next move: as early as 1903 the brand was being exported to America. During the First World War, the company voluntarily reduced sales of it