Warrant_stating_the_occasion_2014-07-15_03-59

The Paragon China Company was a British manufacturer of

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 ...

from 1919 to 1960, based in

Longton 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 ...

, Stoke-on-Trent, previously known as the Star China Company, and more recently part of the

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 ...

group. Paragon was noted for producing high quality

teaware Teaware is a broad international spectrum of equipment used in the brewing and consumption of tea. Many components make up that spectrum, and vary greatly based upon the type of tea being prepared, and the cultural setting in which it is being ...

and

tableware Tableware is any dish or dishware used for setting a table, serving food, and dining. It includes cutlery, glassware, serving dishes, and other items for practical as well as decorative purposes. The quality, nature, variety and number of o ...

, and was granted royal warrants of appointment by several members of the British Royal Family.

History

The Star China company was founded in 1897 as a

partnership A partnership is an arrangement where parties, known as business partners, agree to cooperate to advance their mutual interests. The partners in a partnership may be individuals, businesses, interest-based organizations, schools, governments ...

between Herbert Aynsley (great-grandson of the founder of

Aynsley China Aynsley China Ltd. was a British manufacturer of bone china tableware, giftware and commemorative items. History The company was founded in 1775 by John Aynsley in Lane End, Longton, Staffordshire. In 1861 his grandson John Aynsley built the ...

) and Hugh Irving, trading until 1919, and using ''Paragon'' as a trade name from about 1900. In 1919, after Aynsley's retirement the company name was changed to Paragon China Company Limited. Irving's two sons subsequently became

managing director A chief executive officer (CEO), also known as a central executive officer (CEO), chief administrator officer (CAO) or just chief executive (CE), is one of a number of corporate executives charged with the management of an organization especially ...

s of the business. In its early history the firm manufactured tea and breakfast wares, exporting to Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. However, in the 1930s, Paragon expanded both its market, to include the Americas, and its range of products to include

dinnerware Tableware is any dish or dishware used for setting a table, serving food, and dining. It includes cutlery, glassware, serving dishes, and other items for practical as well as decorative purposes. The quality, nature, variety and number of obj ...

. Also at this time, Paragon began its move towards creating a smokeless factory, installing electric

kiln A kiln is a thermally insulated chamber, a type of oven, that produces temperatures sufficient to complete some process, such as hardening, drying, or chemical changes. Kilns have been used for millennia to turn objects made from clay int ...

s. The 1960s saw the company change hands several times, owned for a while by T.C. Wild, then forming part of Allied English Potteries, then becoming part of Royal Doulton. The Paragon name has been retained, mainly with designs based on traditional floral patterns. The early Paragon pattern books are presumed lost, however the royal commemorative designs are still sought by collectors.

Royal warrants

* 1926 - The Duchess of York (

Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon Elizabeth Angela Marguerite Bowes-Lyon (4 August 1900 – 30 March 2002) was Queen of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 to 6 February 1952 as the wife of King George VI. She was the l ...

) commissioned china for the nursery of Princess Elizabeth (now Queen

Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until her death in 2022. She was queen regnant of 32 sovereign states during ...

). This pattern is known as "Two for Joy", originating from the English number rhyme ''One for sorrow, Two for joy'' associated with magpies, and the legend that two magpies were seen at the christening of Princess Elizabeth. * 1930 - The Duchess of York commissioned a tea service to mark the birth of Princess Margaret Rose (later Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon). This pattern also has two birds, as well as marguerite and

rose A rose is either a woody perennial flowering plant of the genus ''Rosa'' (), in the family Rosaceae (), or the flower it bears. There are over three hundred species and tens of thousands of cultivars. They form a group of plants that can be ...

flower designs, referring to the

given name A given name (also known as a forename or first name) is the part of a personal name quoted in that identifies a person, potentially with a middle name as well, and differentiates that person from the other members of a group (typically a ...

s of the princess. * 1933 - Queen Mary granted a Royal Warrant of Appointment * 1937 - King George VI and Queen Elizabeth granted a royal warrant for the occasion of their coronation * 1938 - Queen Elizabeth (the future Queen Mother) and Queen Mary granted a Royal Warrant of Appointment * 1953 - Queen Elizabeth II granted a Royal Warrant of Appointment

References

Stoke-on-Trent museum research resource

article from ''British Potters and Pottery Today'', by Cyril G. E. Bunt, 1956

External links

Exploringthepotteries.org.uk: Paragon pieces to explore online
{{Stoke-on-Trent Ceramics manufacturers of England Companies based in Stoke-on-Trent Staffordshire pottery British companies established in 1897 Design companies established in 1897 Manufacturing companies established in 1897 British Royal Warrant holders Privately held companies of the United Kingdom