Minton

Thomas Minton was born in Shrewsbury, England in 1765. His family were keen collectors of porcelain. He commenced work as an apprentice with the celebrated engraver Robert Hancock at the Caughley Works in Shropshire and then with the equally renowned Thomas Turner. He moved to London to became a Master Engraver and was commissioned to do work for Josiah Spode who then had a warehouse in London. In about 1788, Minton decided to move from London to Stoke-on-Trent where he continued to work as an engraver for Thomas Whieldon, the first partner of Wedgwood and for the Adams brothers.

Thomas Minton was determined to become a potter and purchased land and built a modest factory in about 1792 with two ovens, a slip house and accommodation, and the factory started to produce wares about three years later. His need for expert assistance resulted in his engaging the brothers Samuel and Joseph Poulson; Samuel was a modeller and Joseph a trained potter. This led to Joseph Poulson becoming a partner in 1796. They were soon joined in partnership by a Liverpool merchant William Pownal who helped provide capital to develop the business. The firm predominantly produced transfer printed earthenware dinner and tea services using superior earthenware stone china, opaque china, and feldspar china while bone china goods were introduced with great success in 1798.

Thomas Minton became sole proprietor in 1809. He took his sons Herbert and Thomas into partnership in 1817 although Thomas left soon after to become a priest. Herbert quickly contributed to the firm’s success and became its driving force. The firm expanded their tableware lines in 1824 to include various products directed to the decorative luxuries market. The company produced fine hand-painted porcelain and industrial-strength tiles for stately homes and churches. Thomas Minton died in 1836 and control fell entirely to Herbert Minton. He took John Boyle into partnership to manage the commercial side but they did not agree on future directions and the partnership was dissolved in 1841, Boyle moving to Wedgwood. In 1847, Minton succeeded in producing a new unglazed marble-like china called 'Parian' which was highly suitable for figures. The firm attracted the celebrated French ceramic artist and chemist Leon Arnoux, and several English and foreign sculptors joined to design Parian ware.

Herbert had two young nephews, Michael Daintry Hollins and Colin Minton Campbell and they entered the business in 1840 and 1848 respectively. Hollins became responsible for the tile-making side of the business which became Minton Hollins & Co. Herbert Minton died in 1858 and control of the main business passed to Colin Minton Campbell. Since Herbert Minton’s death, no Minton has been connected with the firm that continues to carry the Minton name. Campbell was elected to Parliament and his national reputation helped the Minton factory to reach new heights. Minton's Art Pottery Studio was established in Kensington, London in 1870 in order to encourage artists to decorate china and tiles for Minton. The studio was not rebuilt when it burnt down in 1875. Colin Minton Campbell died in 1885.

Management then fell to Colin Milton Campbell’s son John F Campbell until 1918, and then to Colin H Campbell. Later generation joined the firm at various dates including Arthur John Campbell who migrated to Kenya in 1944 to develop the local pottery industry. The most renowned of the firm’s artists in modern times was John Wadsworth who worked with Mintons from 1901 until he died in 1955. His crowning glory was the great vase designed to commemorate the Coronation of the Queen. From the mid-1890s, Minton's made major contributions to Art Nouveau ceramics with slip-trailed majolica ware designed by Wadsworth and Leon Solon. Minton released several Art Deco designs in the 1920s but the firm was hard hit by the Great Depression particularly for sales of luxury designs. Minton halted production of dinnerware in 1939 because the company’s resources were needed to help the war effort. The post-war period saw a revival of the firm’s fortunes. The Minton factory in the centre of Stoke was rebuilt and modernised after the Second World War by the then Managing Director J E Hartill, a great-great-great grandson of Thomas Minton. The company joined with Royal Doulton group in 1968 and continued producing luxury dinnerware. The factory, including office accommodation and a Minton Museum, was later demolished as part of rationalisation within the Doulton group. However, the Victorian building which used to be the Minton Hollins tileworks on a separate site was threatened with demolition in the 1980s but was listed and has been preserved. Work was taken on by other factories within the group in 1992 but the Minton backstamp continues to be used to this day.

                                         The Minton-Hollins Tile Factory

During its history of nearly two hundred years from 1796, the firm has traded under various trade styles.
Thomas Minton c.1796
Minton and Poulson c.1796-1800
Minton, Poulson and Pounall c.1800
Minton Poulson and Co. c.1801-2
Minton and Poulson c.1802-8 (second time)
Thomas Minton c.1809-17
Thomas Minton and Sons c.1817-27
Thomas Minton and Son c.1824
Thomas Minton (second time) c.1824-36
Minton and Boyle c.1836-41
Herbert Minton and Co. c.1841-45
Minton and Hollins c.1845
Herbert Minton and Co. (second time) c.1847-73
Mintons c.1873-84
Mintons c.1884

Backstamps

Early earthenware and pre-1805 porcelains appear to be unmarked. After that, there were various marks reflecting the current owners prior to introduction of the standard Minton marks.