![Derby porcelain Vases at VA](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/76/Derby_porcelain_Vases_at_VA.jpg)
The Royal Crown Derby Porcelain Company is the oldest or second oldest remaining English
porcelain
Porcelain () is a ceramic material made by heating substances, generally including materials such as kaolinite, in a kiln to temperatures between . The strength and translucence of porcelain, relative to other types of pottery, arises mainl ...
manufacturer, based in
Derby
Derby ( ) is a city and unitary authority area in Derbyshire, England. It lies on the banks of the River Derwent in the south of Derbyshire, which is in the East Midlands Region. It was traditionally the county town of Derbyshire. Derby gai ...
,
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
(disputed by
Royal Worcester
Royal Worcester is a porcelain brand based in Worcester, England. It was established in 1751 and is believed to be the oldest or second oldest remaining English porcelain brand still in existence today, although this is disputed by Royal Crown De ...
, who claim 1751 as their year of establishment). The company, particularly known for its high-quality
bone china
Bone china is a type of ceramic that is composed of bone ash, feldspathic material, and kaolin. It has been defined as "ware with a translucent body" containing a minimum of 30% of phosphate derived from animal bone and calculated calcium phospha ...
, having produced
tableware
Tableware is any dish or dishware used for setting a table, serving food, and dining. It includes cutlery, List of glassware, glassware, serving dishes, and other items for practical as well as decorative purposes. The quality, nature, variet ...
and ornamental items since approximately 1750. It was known as 'Derby Porcelain' until 1773, when it became 'Crown Derby', the 'Royal' being added in 1890. The factory closed down in the past under
Royal Doulton
Royal Doulton is an English ceramic and home accessories manufacturer that was founded in 1815. Operating originally in Vauxhall, London, and later moving to Lambeth, in 1882 it opened a factory in Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent, in the centre of Engl ...
ownership, but production was revived under the renewed ownership of Hugh Gibson and Pearson family.
Derby Porcelain
The production of Derby porcelain dates from the second half of the 18th century, although the authorship and the exact start of the production remains today as a matter of conjecture. The oldest remaining pieces in the late 19th century bore onl ...
covers the earliest history of this and other porcelain producers in 18th-century Derby.
History
William Duesbury I and II
![Three Derby Figures in DIA 1758](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b4/Three_Derby_Figures_in_DIA_1758.jpg)
In 1745 André Planché, a
Huguenot
The Huguenots ( , also , ) were a religious group of French Protestants who held to the Reformed, or Calvinist, tradition of Protestantism. The term, which may be derived from the name of a Swiss political leader, the Genevan burgomaster Be ...
immigrant from
Saxony
Saxony (german: Sachsen ; Upper Saxon: ''Saggsn''; hsb, Sakska), officially the Free State of Saxony (german: Freistaat Sachsen, links=no ; Upper Saxon: ''Freischdaad Saggsn''; hsb, Swobodny stat Sakska, links=no), is a landlocked state of ...
, settled in Derby, where between 1747 and 1755 he made
soft-paste porcelain
Soft-paste porcelain (sometimes simply "soft paste", or "artificial porcelain") is a type of ceramic material in pottery, usually accepted as a type of porcelain. It is weaker than "true" hard-paste porcelain, and does not require either the high ...
vases and
figurine
A figurine (a diminutive form of the word ''figure'') or statuette is a small, three-dimensional sculpture that represents a human, deity or animal, or, in practice, a pair or small group of them. Figurines have been made in many media, with cl ...
s. At the beginning of 1756 he formed a business partnership with
William Duesbury
William Duesbury (1725–1786) was an English Vitreous enamel, enameller, in the sense of a painter of porcelain, who became an important porcelain entrepreneur, founder of the Royal Crown Derby and owner of porcelain factories at Bow porcelai ...
(1725–1786), a
porcelain painter
China painting, or porcelain painting, is the decoration of glazed porcelain objects such as plates, bowls, vases or statues. The body of the object may be hard-paste porcelain, developed in China in the 7th or 8th century, or soft-paste porcel ...
formerly at
Chelsea porcelain factory
Chelsea porcelain is the porcelain made by the Chelsea porcelain manufactory, the first important porcelain manufactory in England, established around 1743–45, and operating independently until 1770, when it was merged with Derby porcelain. ...
and
Longton Hall Longton may refer to several places:
* Longton, Kansas, United States
* Longton, Lancashire, United Kingdom
* Longton, Staffordshire, United Kingdom
See also
* Longtan (disambiguation)
* Longtown (disambiguation) Longtown may refer to several plac ...
, and the banker John Heath. This was the foundation of the Derby company, although production at the
works at Cockpit Hill, just outside the town, had begun before then, as evidenced by a
creamware
Creamware is a cream-coloured refined earthenware with a lead glaze over a pale body, known in France as '' faïence fine'', in the Netherlands as ''Engels porselein'', and in Italy as ''terraglia inglese''.Osborne, 140 It was created about 175 ...
jug dated 1750, also in the possession of the Victoria and Albert Museum. Planché disappeared from the scene almost at once, and the business was developed by Duesbury and Heath, and later Duesbury alone. A talented entrepreneur, Duesbury developed a new body which contained glass frit,
soapstone
Soapstone (also known as steatite or soaprock) is a talc-schist, which is a type of metamorphic rock. It is composed largely of the magnesium rich mineral talc. It is produced by dynamothermal metamorphism and metasomatism, which occur in the zo ...
and calcined bone. This enabled the factory to begin producing high-quality tableware. He quickly established Derby as a leading manufacturer of dinner services and figurines by employing the best talents available for modelling and painting. Figure painting was done by Richard Askew, particularly skilled at painting
cupid
In classical mythology, Cupid (Latin Cupīdō , meaning "passionate desire") is the god of desire, lust, erotic love, attraction and affection. He is often portrayed as the son of the love goddess Venus (mythology), Venus and the god of war Mar ...
s, and James Banford. Zachariah Boreman and John Brewer painted landscapes, still lifes, and pastorals. Intricate floral patterns were designed and painted by
William Billingsley.
In 1770, Duesbury further increased the already high reputation of Derby by his acquisition of the famous Chelsea porcelain factory in London. From this point the Derby paste included
bone ash
Bone ash is a white material produced by the calcination of bones. Typical bone ash consists of about 55.82% calcium oxide, 42.39% phosphorus pentoxide, and 1.79% water. The exact composition of these compounds varies depending upon the type of bon ...
. He operated the Chelsea factory on its original site until 1784 (the products of this period are known as 'Chelsea-Derby'), when he demolished the buildings and transferred the assets, including the stock, patterns and moulds, and many of the workmen, to Derby. Again, in 1776, he acquired the remainder of the formerly prestigious
Bow porcelain factory
The Bow porcelain factory (active c. 1747–64 and closed in 1776) was an emulative rival of the Chelsea porcelain factory in the manufacture of early soft-paste porcelain in Great Britain. The two London factories were the first in England. It ...
, of which he also transferred the portable elements to Derby.
In 1773, Duesbury's hard work was rewarded by
King George III
George III (George William Frederick; 4 June 173829 January 1820) was King of Great Britain and of Ireland from 25 October 1760 until the union of the two kingdoms on 1 January 1801, after which he was King of the United Kingdom of Great Br ...
, who after visiting the Derby works granted him permission to incorporate the royal crown into the Derby backstamp, after which the company was known as 'Crown Derby'.
In 1786, William Duesbury died, leaving the company to his son,
William Duesbury II
William is a male given name of Germanic origin.Hanks, Hardcastle and Hodges, ''Oxford Dictionary of First Names'', Oxford University Press, 2nd edition, , p. 276. It became very popular in the English language after the Norman conquest of Engl ...
(1763–1796), also a talented director, who besides keeping the reputation of the company at its height, developed a number of new
glazes and body types.
Michael Kean
William Duesbury II did not live to fulfil his promise: he died in 1797 at the age of 34 and the company was taken over by his business partner, an Irishman named
Michael Kean
Michael Kean (died 1823) was an Irish artist. He was a miniature painter, and for a period was owner of the porcelain factory in Derby later known as Royal Crown Derby.
Life
Kean was born in Dublin; he entered the Dublin Society's drawing schools ...
, who later married Duesbury's widow. He seems not to have enjoyed good relations with the highly skilled workforce, and many eminent artists left. Others however produced good work under his management, including Moses Webster, a flower painter who replaced Billingsley, Richard Dodson (who specialised in birds), George Robertson (land- and seascapes) and Cuthbert Lawton (hunting scenes). The best-known artist of this time was
William Pegg
William is a male given name of Germanic origin.Hanks, Hardcastle and Hodges, ''Oxford Dictionary of First Names'', Oxford University Press, 2nd edition, , p. 276. It became very popular in the English language after the Norman conquest of Engl ...
, a
Quaker
Quakers are people who belong to a historically Protestant Christian set of Christian denomination, denominations known formally as the Religious Society of Friends. Members of these movements ("theFriends") are generally united by a belie ...
, famed for his striking and idiosyncratic flower painting. He started in 1797 but his religious beliefs led him to the conclusion that painting was sinful and he left in 1800. He returned in 1813, but left again in 1820.
Despite much good work, the Kean period was disruptive and the company suffered financially.
William Duesbury III, born in 1790, son of William Duesbury II, took over the factory when he came of age, and Kean having sold his interest to his father-in-law, William Duesbury's grandfather, named Sheffield, the concern continued under the name of Duesbury & Sheffield.
Robert Bloor
![Biscuit tins VA 2480](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0c/Biscuit_tins_VA_2480.JPG)
In 1815, the factory was leased to the firm's salesman and clerk, Robert Bloor, and the Duesburys played no further part in it. Bloor borrowed heavily to be able to make the payments demanded but proved himself to be a highly able businessman in his ways of recouping losses and putting the business back on a sound financial footing. He also possessed a thorough appreciation of the aesthetic side of the business, and under him the company produced works that were richly coloured and elegantly styled, including brightly coloured Japanese
Imari
is a city located in Saga Prefecture on the island of Kyushu, Japan. Imari is most notable because of Imari porcelain, which is the European collectors' name for Japanese porcelain wares made in the town of Arita, Saga Prefecture. The porcelain w ...
patterns, generally featuring intricate geometric patterns layered with various floral designs. These designs proved extremely and lastingly popular, and Derby continued to thrive.
In 1845, however, Bloor died, and after three years under Thomas Clarke, the Cockpit Works were sold and the factory closed in 1848.
King Street
A group of former employees set up a factory in King Street in Derby, and continued to use the moulds, patterns and trademarks of the former business, although not the name, so keeping alive the Derby traditions of fine craftsmanship. No mechanical processes were used, and no two pieces produced were exactly the same. Among the items preserved was the original
potter's wheel
In pottery, a potter's wheel is a machine used in the shaping (known as throwing) of clay into round ceramic ware. The wheel may also be used during the process of trimming excess clay from leather-hard dried ware that is stiff but malleable, a ...
of the Duesburys, still owned by the present Royal Derby Company.
Osmaston Road
In 1877, an impressive new factory was built by new owners of the Crown Derby name in Osmaston Road, Derby, thus beginning the modern period of Derby porcelain. Crown Derby's patterns became immensely popular during the late
Victorian era
In the history of the United Kingdom and the British Empire, the Victorian era was the period of Queen Victoria's reign, from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. The era followed the Georgian period and preceded the Edwardia ...
, as their romantic and lavish designs exactly met the popular taste of the period.
Royal Crown Derby
In 1890,
Queen Victoria
Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until Death and state funeral of Queen Victoria, her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 21 ...
appointed Crown Derby to be "
Manufacturers of porcelain to Her Majesty" and by
royal warrant A royal warrant is a document issued by a monarch which confers rights or privileges on the recipient, or has the effect of law.
Royal warrant may refer to:
* Royal warrant of appointment, warrant to tradespeople who supply goods or services to a r ...
granted them the title "The Royal Crown Derby Porcelain Company".
In 1935 Royal Crown Derby acquired the King Street factory, thus reuniting the two strands of the business.
Allied Potteries
In 1964, the company was acquired by S. Pearson and Son and became part of the Allied English Potteries Group, later to be joined by
Royal Doulton
Royal Doulton is an English ceramic and home accessories manufacturer that was founded in 1815. Operating originally in Vauxhall, London, and later moving to Lambeth, in 1882 it opened a factory in Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent, in the centre of Engl ...
.
In 2000, Hugh Gibson, a former director of
Royal Doulton
Royal Doulton is an English ceramic and home accessories manufacturer that was founded in 1815. Operating originally in Vauxhall, London, and later moving to Lambeth, in 1882 it opened a factory in Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent, in the centre of Engl ...
and a member of the Pearson family, led a buy-out, making Royal Crown Derby once again an independent and privately owned concern, which at present (2006) employs about 300 people at the Osmaston Road works.
Present product lines include paperweights, introduced in 1981 and immensely popular. Royal Crown Derby also continue to produce patterns in the Imari style, distinguished for its rich colours and intricate gilding, including the dinnerware ranges Old Imari, Traditional Imari, Red Aves, Blue Mikado and Derby Posies (designed by Thomas Amos Reed, Art Director until he retired in 1926), and Olde Avesbury.
In 2013, Hugh Gibson retired and sold the company to
Steelite International
Steelite International is a British ceramics and tableware manufacturer for the hospitality industry. It is based in Middleport, a district of Burslem in Staffordshire, England, with offices in New Castle, Pennsylvania and showrooms worldwide. ...
of Stoke-on-Trent. The Derby factory and visitor centre remain open. According to the Royal Crown Derby website, Steelite "remains firmly committed to the highest quality UK manufacture and sets its sights on launching into a new market with a new brand ‘Royal Crown Derby Entertains’ providing fine bone china tableware to major hotels restaurants and hospitality venues throughout the world." In 2016, the company was bought by Kevin Oakes, formerly chief executive of both Crown Derby and Steelite.
Derby porcelain marks
![Derby Marks](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/ae/Derby_Marks.jpg)
From the book ''Bow, Chelsea, and Derby Porcelain'' by
William Bemrose (1898):
* 1, 2, 3 - Earliest Derby Marks, generally in blue (some examples are known where the Crown and D are used separately, probably an oversight by the workmen).
* 4 - Crossed swords, crown, and D, and 6 dots, carefully painted in blue, later in puce, used from about 1782.
* 5, 6 - Ditto, less carefully painted in red.
* 7, 8, 9, 10 - Later Duesbury Marks, generally in red.
* 11 - Duesbury & Kean, seldom used, circa 1795 to 1809.
* 12, 13, 14, 15 - Bloor Marks, commence 1811 to 1849.
* 16, 17, 18, 19 - Quasi Oriental Marks used on several occasions in matching, and to use up seconds stock by Bloor. No. 17 is an imitation of the Sèvres mark.
* 20 - Dresden Mark, often used on figures.
* 21 - Derby Mark, supposed to have been used by Holdship when at Derby, about 1766. Rare.
* 22 - Stephenson & Hancock, King Street Factory, 1862, same mark used afterwards by Sampson Hancock, and now in use, 1897.
* 23 - Mark used by the Derby Crown Porcelain Co., Osmaston Road, from its establishment in 1877 to Dec., 1889.
* 24 - This Mark adopted by the above Co. when Her Majesty granted the use of the prefix "Royal" on 3 January 1890.
Royal Crown Derby Visitor Centre
The Royal Crown Derby Visitor Centre in Derby features a museum of porcelain items, and offers tours of the factory, a gift shop and a restaurant.
See also
*
John Haslem (1808–1884), an apprentice
china painter
China painting, or porcelain painting, is the decoration of glazed porcelain objects such as plates, bowls, vases or statues. The body of the object may be hard-paste porcelain, developed in China in the 7th or 8th century, or soft-paste porcel ...
at the factory from 1822, and said to be one of the best flower artists at the works.
[J. F. Blacker. ''he ABC of collecting old English china'' (London : Opinion Curio Club, 1908) p. 101.] He also wrote a history entitled "The Old Derby China Factory" (George Bell, 1876).
*
Georg Holtzendorff
Count Georg Holtzendorff (also spelled ''Holzendorff'') was a painter of Saxony, specialist in landscapes, figure subjects and cherubs, who sought refuge in England in consequence of the Franco-Prussian War.
Works
Holtzendorff worked for th ...
, a
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
**Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ger ...
painter who made the studies for the ''Gladstone Dessert Service''.
References
*Honey, W.B., ''Old English Porcelain'', 1977 (3rd edn.), Faber and Faber,
Further reading
*Barret, Franklin A
len
Len or LEN may refer to:
People and fictional characters
* Len (given name), a list of people and fictional characters
* Lén, a character from Irish mythology
* Alex Len (born 1993), Ukrainian basketball player
* Mr. Len, American hip hop DJ
*Le ...
and A.L. Thorpe. ''Derby Porcelain'' (London) 1971.
*Bradley, Gilbert, Judith Anderson, and Robin Barkla. ''Derby Porcelain, 1750-1798'' (Heneage) 1992. Gilbert Bradley edited a ''Derby Porcelain International Society Newsletter'', c. 1985–95.
*Bradshaw, P., ''Derby Porcelain Figures 1750-1848'' (London: Faber Monographs), 1990.
*John W, ''William Billingsley 1758-1828'' 1968.
*Murdoch, J. and J. Twitchett. ''Painters and the Derby China Works'' 1987.
*Rice, Dennis. ''Derby Porcelain: The Golden Years 1750-1770'' 1983.
*Sargeant, M, ''Royal Crown Derby'' (Princes Risborough), 2000.
*Twitchett, John, ''Derby Porcelain'' (London: Antique Collectors' Guide), (1980), 2006.
*Twitchett John and Henry Sandon. ''Landscapes on Derby and Worcester Porcelain'' 1984.
*Twitchett, John and B. Bailey, ''Royal Crown Derby'' 1988.
External links
* - Official website
* - History of Royal Crown Derby Co Ltd, from "British Potters and Potteries Today", publ 1956
{{coord missing, Derbyshire
British Royal Warrant holders
Ceramics manufacturers of England
Companies based in Derby
English pottery
Museums in Derby
Decorative arts museums in England
Collections of Derby Museum and Art Gallery
Ceramics museums in the United Kingdom
British porcelain