• The Green family had been manufacturing pottery at the Minerva Works from as early as 1833. 

• By 1876 the brothers Thomas Allen and Spencer Green were operating as T.A. & S. Green.

• In 1889, still under the control of the Green brothers, the company was renamed as the Crown Staffordshire Porcelain Co. 

• In 1903 it became a limited company under the name Crown Staffordshire Porcelain Co. Ltd. 

• By the turn of the century, the company were producing a wide range of bone china products including dinner ware, tea and coffee ware, miniatures, vases, cutlery handles, door furniture and floral china baskets. In the late 1920's Crown Staffordshire pioneered the large scale production of china floral ornaments and china costume jewellery for which they became famous.

• Both before and during World War II the company produced badged ware for the canteens of the armed forces, including the British and Canadian navy. 

• During the war they were designated as a nucleus firm (1941) which meant that they were allowed to continue trading in their own premises and, although Barlows of Longton were concentrated upon the Minerva Works for the duration of the war, no earthenware was made, only bone china.

• They also produced canteen ware for the British armed forces. 

• In June 1945 Crown Staffordshire were granted a licence to produce 'fancies' for the home market. 

• In 1946 a factory in Heron Cross was purchased to allow increased postwar production of decorated wares, primarily for export. The bottle ovens there were replaced by tunnel ovens.

• In 1948 the name of the company was changed to Crown Staffordshire China Co. Ltd. The business continued to be owned and operated by the Green family. Two subsidiary companies were established, in Canada and America, to control distribution abroad. 

• In the 1950s three quarters of total production was exported. Agents were employed in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Belgium.

• In 1952 the Crown Staffordshire China Co. Ltd. was described by the Pottery Gazette and Glass Trades Review as the largest producer of china flowers in the Potteries as well as producing many figure and bird studies. Over 200 people were employed in the factory's decorating department.

• In 1951 the company officers were recorded as: Chairman of directors - G. D. Green; Directors & works managers - S. Sinclair Green and F. Green; Director: R. A. Green; Art director and Decorating manager - J. T. Jones. 

• The company continued to be owned and operated by the Green family until 1965 when the company was sold to Semart Importing Co. based in New Jersey, USA. Semart was an importer of tableware and at the same time as buying Crown Staffordshire China Co also purchased Wedgwood & Co.

• Semart continued to use the Crown Staffordshire name until the company became part of the (Josiah) Wedgwood Group around 1973-4. 

• Wedgwood used the Crown Staffordshire name on specialty products until around 1985 when production of Coalport ware (also part of the Wedgwood Group) was moved to the Minerva Works and the Crown Staffordshire name disappeared. 

Some information courtesy: Stoke-on-Trent Potteries Museum data sheet and 'A Handbook of British Pottery Manufacturers 1900-2010' - Michael Perry. 

More on Crown Staffordshire Ware 

'Fine China Flowers by Crown Staffordshire'
Crown Staffordshire Porcelain Co Ltd
Minerva Works
Fenton
Stoke-on-Trent

Advert from 1947 Pottery Gazette Reference Book 

Advert from 1956 Pottery Gazette Reference Book 

In 1952 the Crown Staffordshire China Co. Ltd. was described by the Pottery Gazette and Glass Trades Review as the largest producer of china flowers in the Potteries as well as producing many figure and bird studies. Over 200 people were employed in the factory's decorating department.

John Bromley b.1943 d.2013 

John was a freelance designer/modeller who studied Design at the Stoke-on-Trent College of Art.

He produced designs for a number of quality ceramic manufacturers including: Royal Doulton, Crown Staffordshire China, Coalport, Wedgwood, Royal Worcester. 

(not to be confused with the artist John Mallard Bromley)

J. Bromley 

Black basalt bust of the Egyptian pharaoh Tutankhamun -this bust by the sculptor John Bromley was based on the gold death mask discovered by Howard Carter. 

Bromley produced other black basalt busts including Winston Churchill and Golda Meir.

mark on Royal Navy Mess Ware

fragment found 2021 on Bridlington Beach, East Riding of Yorkshire by Andy Haddock and his grandson Austin Colinson. 

Royal Navy Mess Ware (canteen ware) was manufactured for use on board vessels and in institutions belonging to the Royal Navy.

Different patterns and markings were used for the various ranks and ships.

In 1907 the Royal Navy went to general mess after which all crockery through out the navy was the same.

The example shown is the Crown Staffordshire manufacturers mark with the Royal Navy Government inspection & approved stamp consisting of a capital A above a fouled Anchor with the inspection number 0 below. 

Patterns on British Royal Navy Mess Ware 

Royal Navy Mess Ware

SIGIL OFFI MAG ADMIR MAG BR &C 

This insignia and top-mark used on all British Royal Navy dinnerware from about 1937 onward. This top-mark consists of a fouled anchor within a badge surrounded by an inscription which translates to "The Seal of the Office of the Lord High Admiral of Great Britain, etc", with the British Royal Crown sitting above the badge.

There are also two types of crowns use, one for the reigning King and another for the reigning Queen. 

This particular insignia includes the King's crown of George VI as part of the Naval Badge.

c.1937-48 

This cup was found during a dive in Loch Sunart - a sea loch on the west coast of Scotland. 

The ‘W’ within the diamond indicates that the products were commissioned and produced for the Office of Works (until 1939)

G VI R 
Crown Staffordshire
1945

The marks shown indicates that the ware was produced for and supplied to the British Government; it was ultimately property of the Crown/Government, hence the 'W' on the 1935 example and the GR-VI Cypher on the 1945 example.

This mark is there to distinguish the piece from being normal ‘utilitarian’ ware for public sale during the period surrounding the Second World War. 

Crown Staffordshire (and others) were given government contracts throughout the late 1930s and into the 1940s (WWII) and produced canteen ware - most likely for the armed services.

The year of manufacturer is generally included.

c.1956+                 

c.1962+

The sign says 'ESTd 1801' - and this date appears on much of the ware made by this company.

However the Crown Staffordshire Porcelain Co. was not formed until 1889 - so how did they get this date of 1801? 

According to Jewitt's 'Ceramic Art of Great Britain'.. the Minerva works were established in 1801 and via a number of companies the works eventually came into the hands of the Crown Staffordshire Porcelain Co. 

So it is the pottery factory that was established in 1801 - and not this company. 

This type of stretching of the truth with dates was not uncommon with pottery companies as they tried to show longevity.