British bow making was dominated by three families, the Dodd's, W.E. Hill and Sons and the Tubb's family. Of all of these makers, James Tubbs may well be the most important. James (1835-1921) stands out as arguabley the finest of all British bow makers, rivaling the best of the great Parisian makers. He was trained by his father William, then set up his own London workshop. 

Early in his career, he made bows for W.E. Hill, but that relationship went badly because the Hill's stamped Tubb's bows with their own name and never gave him credit for his fine work. James Tubbs went on to great success and today is considered one of the greatest bow makers of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.