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1896. Father and son Thomas Wild and Thomas Clarke Wild acquired Albert Works, a factory named in commemoration of the birth of Prince Albert. Renamed Thomas Wild and Co. at High St., Longton in Staffordshire, they specialized in bone china tea and breakfast sets. The company’s reputation was enhanced when Thomas Wild and Co. were chosen to produce memorial pieces for Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee.
Thomas Wild
1898. The father Thomas died and the son Thomas Clarke took control and lifted the company to even greater heights. He moved from the traditional methods for firing dinnerware to using gas and electricity.
1935. The premises moved to the St. Mary’s works. Reference to the Crown China works ceased and instead the Bone China theme was taken up. Thomas Clarke’s two sons Thomas and Fred had succeeded him and continued making quality items using electric firing ovens. Fred Wild died in 1961.
1964. Thomas Wild and Co. merged with the Pearson Group (Allied English Potteries) which included Royal Crown Derby and Paragon.
1970. All connection to the founders T.C. Wild & Sons was dropped with the renaming the company as Royal Albert Limited.
1972. The Pearson Group merged with Royal Doulton which included Minton, Beswick and Webb Corbett.
2001. Doulton moved production of Royal Albert to “state of the art” facilities in Indonesia so that all further production in England ceased. Naturally, these pieces are no longer stamped Made in England.
Royal Albert Backstamps
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