Location and
period of operation:
Doulton
& Co
|
Burslem
(and
other locations)
|
1882
|
Jan 2005
|
Doulton began as a partnership between
John Doulton, Martha Jones, and John Watts, at a factory in Lambeth,
London in 1815. They specialised in making stoneware
articles, such as decorative bottles and salt glaze sewer pipes. The company took
on the Doulton name in 1853 when John, and his son Henry,
established themselves as makers of fine English stoneware.
Manufacturing continued here until 1956.
-
In 1877 Henry Doulton became a partner
in a failing pottery company: Pinder, Bourne and Co at Nile Street in
Burslem. In the same year Henry Doulton was knighted, a few years later he was awarded the Albert Medal by the Royal Society of Arts.
-
The
Pinder/Doulton partnership was not a success and in March 1881
Thomas Shadford Pinder retired and the business was continued by Sir
Henry Doulton and his brother, James Duneau Doulton. Also in 1881
Henry's only son, Henry Lewis Doulton was made a partner.
-
The name of Pinder, Bourne & Co. continued to be used until 1882 when it became Doulton & Co.
The
London Gazette
8th March 1881
notice that Thomas
Shadford Pinder retired from the partnership
of Pinder, Bourne & Co and the business was continued
by Henry Doulton and his brother, James Duneau Doulton.
-
James
Duneau Doulton died in 1889 and Sir Henry Doulton died in 1897. The
business continued under the leadership of Henry's son, Henry Lewis
Doulton.
-
In
1899 the business was incorporated as Doulton & Co. Ltd. On the incorporation of the business
Henry Lewis Doulton assumed the positions of Managing Director and first Chairman of Doulton & Co.
Ltd.
-
In
1901 the Royal Warrant was granted by King Edward VIII.
-
In
1919 Henry Lewis Doulton's nephew, Lewis John Eric Hooper, took
over the position of Managing Director and he also became Chairman in
1925 when Henry Lewis Doulton retired. Lewis Hooper remained chairman
until 1955.
-
Doulton
& Co (Burslem) remained open during the Second World War under the Wartime
Concentration Scheme - they were permitted to produce
undecorated domestic ware. They also produced canteen ware for the British
armed forces.
-
In
June 1945 Doulton & Co (both Burslem & Lambeth factories) were
granted a licence to produce 'fancies'
for the home market.
-
In
1955-56 the Doulton group was restructured in January 1956 four
divisions were created: Doulton Fine China Ltd who manufactured
earthenware and china ware at Nile Street, Doulton Sanitary Potteries
Ltd, Doulton Industrial Porcelains Ltd and Doulton Vitrified Pipes
Ltd. At this time the Lambeth, London studios were closed.
-
In
1968 Doulton took over the businesses of Mintons
Ltd and Dunn Bennett and Co Ltd
and the following year took over John
Beswick Ltd and also acquired the Stourbridge based glass
manufacturing company of Webb Corbett Ltd.
-
In
November 1971 S.
Pearson & Son (Ltd) - who were already owners of Allied
English Potteries Ltd - acquired Doulton & Co Ltd and merged
the two groups under the Doulton name.
-
In
August 1972 it was announced that "Allied English Potteries will
become a subsidiary of Doulton and its name will be changed to Royal
Doulton Tableware Ltd.
"From
January 1973 the new company became custodian of the tableware and
giftware assets of the two groups including the Royal Doulton,
Minton, Beswick, Dunn Bennett, Booths, Colclough, Royal Albert,
Royal Crown Derby, Paragon, Ridgway, Queen Anne, Royal Adderley
and Royal Floral names and their vast manufacturing
operations.
The
company also held the 50 Lawley
china and glass retail stores inherited from Allied English
Potteries.
Royal
Doulton Tableware Ltd was a subsidiary of Doulton & Co Ltd,
itself a subsidiary of the Pearson Group. The name was in use
until at least 1983 and probably until the float of Royal Doulton
PLC in 1993"
'A Handbook of British Pottery Manufacturers 1900-2010'
Michael Perry
|
-
December
1992 saw a floatation on the London Stock Exchange and the formation
of Royal Doulton PLC.
-
Poor
financial performance saw the sale of certain subsidiaries and
substantial rationalisation. In spite of this action losses continued
and with estimated debts of £26m, 2002 saw the closure of Doulton's
Baddeley Green factory with the loss of 500 jobs and the transfer of
the production of 'Royal Albert'
to Indonesia. Later in 2002 the Beswick Gold Street works in Longton
was also closed with the loss of 200 jobs. (BBC
News).
-
In
March 2004 it was announced that the original Nile Street works, the
only remaining Doulton UK manufacturing facility, would be
closed.
-
In
February 2005 Waterford Wedgwood, who already had a large stake in
Doulton shares, completed a nearly £40m take over of of Royal Doulton
PLC.
-
In
April 2005 manufacturing at the Nile Street works ceased and
production of the Royal Doulton, Minton and Royal Albert brands was transferred
to factories of the Waterford Wedgwood group - most of which
were overseas.
|
previously: Pinder, Bourne and Co
Royal Doulton Potteries
Doulton & Co Limited
Makers of Art Stoneware
The Pottery Gazette - February
1913
plate in the
Dresden pattern- based on the popular Indian Tree pattern
this pattern was started by Pinder,
Bourne & Hope and continued
by Pinder, Bourne & Co and subsequently Doulton
& Co |
Dresden
Doulton
printed mark - the design continued
from the previous Pinder partnerships - at the bottom left is an
impressed mark
Doulton
Burslem
England
|
photos courtesy:
Rod Crowshaw
serving platter in the
Kathryn pattern
dinner services were produced in this
popular pattern which was available in a monochrome printed pattern and
also with hand painted colour and gilt accents |
Doulton
Burslem
England
Rd No 251612
the registration
number shows that his pattern was registered by Doulton &
Co
on the 20th March 1895
impressed Doulton mark with the month-year
of manufacture 1-96 (January 1896)
|
tobacco jar
|
Royal
Doulton
unusual,
un-catalogued mark
(contrast
has been altered to make mark clearer)
|
photos courtesy:
Markus Winter
Marks used on
ware for identification:
Doulton & Co., Ltd.,
Royal Doulton Potteries
Lambeth, London, S.E.
from 1917 Pottery Gazette Diary
Doulton & Co., Ltd.,
Nile Street Works
Burslem, Staffs
from 1917 Pottery Gazette Diary
Dresden
Doulton
and early printed mark - the wreath and
crown design continued from the previous Pinder partnerships - at the
bottom left is an impressed mark
|
Doulton
Burslem
England
the impressed mark - the inclusion of
'England' generally indicates a date post 1891
|
Royal Porcelain
Doulton & Co
Englandexample
of the use of faux Royal
Arms - continued from the predecessor Pinder, Bourne and Co
c.1891
-1902
|
The plate is 12 inches in diameter the
decoration is repeated four times around the border with a scalloped
section between each. |
"fragment from a plate at
the site of the Stoney Creek Falls Hotel,
Cairns, Queensland, Australia. This hotel operated between 1887 and 1890"
Doulton
Burslem
c.1882-1891
marks prior to 1891 generally
didn't include ENGLAND
this mark also appeared without the crown above
Royal Doulton
England
standard trade mark introduced c.1902
after the Royal Warrant was granted by
King Edward VIII. in 1901
|
Made in England
Royal Doulton
England
marks including "Made in
England"
from c.1930+ |
Doulton
war-time output:
G VI R
Doulton & Co Ltd
1942
The
mark shown indicates that the ware was produced for and supplied to the
British Government; it was ultimately property of the Crown/Government,
hence the GR-VI Cypher.
This mark is there to distinguish the piece from being normal ‘utilitarian’ ware for public sale
during the period surrounding the
Second World War.
Doulton
& Co (and others) were given government contracts throughout the late 1930s
and into the 1940s (WWII) and produced canteen ware - most likely for
the armed services.
The
year of manufacturer is generally included. |
c.1942-52
the inclusion of the letter A
indicates that the ware was made
under the provisions of the Wartime
Concentration Scheme
Post 1960
marks:
Royal Doulton, England
Made in England
English Translucent China
Doulton & Co Limited
English Translucent China introduced in
January 1960 |
Royal Doulton, England
Made in England
English Fine Bone China
© 1986 Royal Doulton |
in 1969 Doulton took over John
Beswick Ltd
Fine China
A Royal Doulton Product
Made in Indonesia |
Royal Doulton is
a
trademark and used under licence
Made in Indonesia |
Fine Bone China
Royal Doulton
Made in Bangladesh |
-
2002 saw the closure of Doulton's
Baddeley Green factory with the loss of 500 jobs and the transfer of
the production of 'Royal Albert'
to Indonesia.
-
In
March 2004 it was announced that the original Nile Street works, the
only remaining Doulton UK manufacturing facility, would be
closed.
-
In
February 2005 Waterford Wedgwood, who already had a large stake in
Doulton shares, completed a nearly £40m take over of of Royal Doulton
PLC.
-
In
April 2005 manufacturing at the Nile Street works ceased and
production of the Royal Doulton, Minton and Royal Albert brands was transferred
to factories of the Waterford Wedgwood group - most of which
were overseas.
|
Questions, comments,
contributions?: email Steve Birks