18th Century English Porcelain
In Britain, from the reign of Queen Elizabeth I and certainly once the
17th century was in full swing, Oriental porcelain was the 'stuff' of Royalty and
the nobility, which is no real surprise when one views the alternatives. Amongst
the lower echelons there were fingers, wood or even leather for plates and drinking
vessels. Amongst those of middling rank, perhaps pewter or delft and other pottery
and those of higher birth had glass, precious metals and maybe porcelain.
Until the very earliest years of the 18th century, porcelain could only come from
the Orient, but its 'discovery' in 1708 and rudimentary birth in Meissen
eventually let the cat out of the bag as far as domestic European production of
the hallowed substance was concerned.
Partially due to a ruthless guarding of the secret and partially due to Britain's
geographic distance from Germany, it was sometime before porcelain was manufactured
on these shores. As ever, the roots are shrouded in mystery and actual detail seems
immersed in a heady mix of alchemy, counter patents, short lived business deals
and the headiness of being a market leader in a rising market.
A Bow porcelain sauceboat in the Desirable Residence pattern.
The premier British manufactories where probably the competing London concerns of
Bow and Chelsea; Chelsea Porcelain first appeared sometime around 1743-45.
Its earliest production seemed to be copies of decorative silver crayfish salts
and small animal figures, not surprising as it was founded by the silversmith Nicholas
Spirmont. However, it was nearer 1750 before porcelain production occurred
in meaningful volume. Bow Porcelain, for which Thomas Frye and
Edward Heylyn first lodged patents as early as 1745, can only really be
proved to be going by 1749; with a good number of dated documentary 'Made at New
Canton' inkwells being dated 1750.
However, relatively recent archaeological discoveries of a porcelain manufactory
at the Limehouse site in London add another valid contender for the crown
of premier porcelain producer in Britain, with suggested dates of 1745-48.
A Worcester porcelain coffee cup, circa 1755.
Outside the question of who was the first to produce porcelain, there can be no
doubt who was the greatest producer of domestic porcelain, both in volume and longevity.
The accolade must go to Worcester Porcelain, first formed in 1751 on the
banks of the Severn by Dr Wall. Following closely on his heels though was
Derby Porcelain, formed in the later 1750s, but still surviving today.
However, a broad and often overlooked manufactory is that of Lowestoft Porcelain,
formed sometime in the mid 1750s and, despite its relatively rural setting, managed
to survive just into the 19th century.
Although latter day cynics like the comfort of 'marked' porcelain, Britain has had
a broad and sometimes experimental history of porcelain production that provides
plenty of volume, variation, craftsmanship, beauty and, above all, academic interest
that can suit all pockets from the modest to the most generous.
Local to the Westcountry are the short-lived concerns of Cookworthy's hard
paste experiments at Plymouth, latterly taken up by Champion in
Bristol and eventually fizzling out with New Hall.
A Plymouth (Cookworthy) porcelain sauceboat, circa 1758.
There is the significant volume from Caughley, multiple concerns in Liverpool
and niche factories such as Vauxhall, Isleworth, Longton Hall,
West Pans to name but a few and perhaps the holy grail of domestic porcelains
has to be either Limehouse or the 'A' class porcelains.
Specialists
 | Nic Saintey
Department Head
|  | Andrew Thomas
Ceramics and Glass Expert
|