Doulton Burslem

        Spanish Ware Plate                                                     Three Legged Dish

                                                  Nile St., Burslem

Henry Doulton was born in London in 1820, the second of John Doulton’s eight children. The firm Pinder, Bourne and Company was established as potters in Nile St., Burslem in North Stafffordshire in 1862. The sole proprietor by 1877 was Thomas Shadford Pinder and he approached Henry Doulton to form a partnership. However, they fell out over financial management and went to arbitration to settle ownership as a result of which Pinder retired in 1882 so that the firm became Doulton and Company, Burslem. Henry Doulton kept on the decorating manager John Slater and soon after appointed John Cuthbert Bailey as General Manager at the age of 23. Charles Noke moved from Worcester to become Chief Modeller in 1889.

Henry Doulton

                                                        Statue Sir Henry Doulton. Market Place, Burslem

The firm made earthenware goods but Slater and Bailey became convinced that bone china ware should be added to the range and secretly experimented with its manufacture. Henry Doulton was opposed to the introduction of bone china ware as being commercially too risky. During a visit in 1884, he discovered some pieces made with the firm’s backstamp and smashed them in a fury with his umbrella. However, he changed his mind overnight and returned to the factory in the morning to announce that he had decided to construct a new china works to manufacture artistic bone china pieces, a decision that undoubtedly led to the enormous fame that he and the firm were to achieve. Henry Doulton was awarded the coveted Albert Medal of the Society of Arts in 1885 and was knighted by Queen Victoria in 1887, the first potter ever to be so honoured. Doulton held off exhibiting his new wares until the Paris Exhibition in 1892 and the Chicago Exhibition in 1893 where they caused a sensation.

John Slater

                                                                                   Charles Noke

John Cuthbert Bailey

Slater worked with Noke to produce an incredible range of new techniques for potting, glazes and colours in the 1890s, including Holbein, Rembrandt, Kingsware, Morrisian and other works. Cuthbert Bailey then became associated to help introduce Flambe wares. Spanish ware with floral and highly gilded transfer patterns became very popular. A wide range of decorative goods as well as tableware were manufactured.

Sir Henry Doulton died in 1897 and was succeeded as General Manager by his son Henry Louis Doulton who converted the firm to Doulton and Co., Limited which superseded both the previous Burslem company and Doulton Lambeth.  The firm was authorized by King Edward VII to use the term Royal in 1901, an honour far above the Royal Warrant bestowed on other companies.

Reference: The Doulton Burslem Wares, Desmond Eyles, 1980.
 

Backstamps

Some special marks were used for particular patterns.

The coronet was added to recognize that Henry Doulton had been appointed Potter to HRH the Prince of Wales.

England was added to both after 1891.

Pattern and Code Numbers
The numbers indicate when various patterns were introduced.
A numbers – Earthenware
1-6882         1881-92
6883-7467    1893
7468-8084    1894
8085-8592    1895
8593-9144    1896
9145-9617    1897
9618-10000  1898
D numbers – Earthenware
1-339           1899
340-769        1900
770-1137      1901
C numbers – Bone China
1-1705         1884-88
1706-4240    1889-91
4241-4945    1892
4946-5930    1893
5931-7070    1894-5
7071-8085    1896-7
8086-9065    1898-9
9066-10000  1900-1