De La Rue had been regarded as the leading banknote paper manufacturer in the world, having manufactured banknote paper for the Bank of England since 1724. In 1997, De La Rue acquired Harrison and Sons, the stamp and banknote printers based in High Wycombe. The factory closed permanently in 2003. In early 2002, De La Rue took over ownership from Smurfit Diamond Packaging Corporation of Sequoia Voting Systems, a California-based company that was a large provider of electronic voting systems in the U.S., for U.S. $23 million. After losing money for three years in a business way out of the company's traditional lines,
Rue de la Harpe Neuve Mâcon"" or ""rue de l'Abreuvoir Mâcon"" (1401), ""rue de l'Abreuvoir Mâcon"" or ""rue Neuve Saint-Michel"" (1409), ""rue Neuve du pont Saint-Michel"" or ""de la Bouclerie"" (1406), ""rue de la Grant Bouclerie"" (1405), ""rue Neuve Saint-Michel"" (1469) and ""rue de la Vielle Bouclerie"". In 1800, Joseph Fouché, the Parisian chief of police, supposedly documented a series of murders undertaken by a barber and baker on this street. They are often cited as the first serial killers, and also it is argued that the pair were a significant influence in the famous story of the barber Sweeney Todd of Fleet Street,