George Jones & Sons Ltd

Manufacturer of earthenware, majolica and china ware at Stoke, Stoke-on-Trent

At the age of 14 George Jones started a seven year apprenticeship with Minton. After completion in 1844 he worked as a traveling salesman for Wedgwood.
By 1850 George had established himself as a successful pottery merchant and by 1856 he had opened a pottery showroom in Glebe Street, Stoke.
George started manufacturing around 1861 at the Bridge Works, Stoke, as George Jones & Co.
In 1864 he purchased land from Colin Minton Campbell and in 1865 the company moved to the newly built factory - the Trent Potteries. Production of majolica ware started in 1865.
From 1872 china production was started.
By 1873 the two eldest sons, Frank Ralph Jones and George Henry Jones became partners in the business which was renamed George Jones & Sons. 'Crescent' was registered as a trademark for the new company.
At this time the business had 590 employees.
In 1894 the business was incorporated as George Jones and Sons Ltd.
George Jones died in 1893 - the business continued under the name 'George Jones & Sons'
Around 1907 the works were renamed 'Crescent Potteries'
From the 1920s Cauldon Potteries Ltd. and Coalport China Co. Ltd. had moved their manufacturing to the Crescent Potteries and were sharing the works with George Jones & Sons Ltd.
In 1929 the Jones family ownership ended when Walter Bakewell (who was the managing director) bought the business.
In 1933 Harrison & Son (Hanley) Ltd bought out Bakewell's controlling shareholding.
c.1947 there was some modernisation of the Crescent Works. Manufacture of Coalport and Cauldon was favoured.
Use of the Crescent China trade name ceased around 1951.
1957 George Jones & Sons Ltd ceased trading and in 1959 the Crescent works were demolished.

George Jones and Sons
Manufacturers of every description of
Earthenware, China, majolica, Ivory, &c.,
Trent Potteries
Stoke-upon-Trent, Staffordshire

Ironstone bowl The bottom is marked in black "Stone China George Jones Stoke - upon - Trent" with a lion and unicorn on either side of a crest. There is also an impressed "Ironstone George Jones Stoke on Trent" in an Oval.	5" high urn by George Jones & Sons and sold by Tiffany & Co. New York.
majolica tri-part dish with impressed 'GJ & sons' mark	hand painted china dish with gilt
red transferware ironstone plate in the classic ABBEY pattern	teapot in the ABBEY pattern
This pattern was originally known as ABBEY WREATH and had been produced by WILLIAM ADAMS in the 1840s. GEORGE JONES bought many of the ADAMS patterns in 1861, this being one of them. JONES reissued the pattern when the interest for earlier china patterns was at its height.

CRESCENT
the trade name Cresent was registred in 1873
although it may have been used before that date

Stoke
Crescent China

c.1872 - 1891

this mark appeared on a plate with the registration number 826 - which means the pattern was registered in 1884

GJ
Stoke-on-Trent

c.1861 - 1873

moulded mark from a majolica dish

Rarely seen is a raised two lobed cartouche with STOKE ON TRENT below the initials and the pattern number in ink above.

c.1861 - 1873

as either an impressed or moulded mark

The monogram only (i.e. GJ without the crescent) used c.1861-72 when the company was "George Jones" (without the "& SONS")

Stone China
George Jones
Stoke-upon-Trent

c.1861 - 1873

Some marks incorporate "Stoke-upon-Trent" and / or "Stone China"

click for more on the use of the Royal Arms

these printed marks also have the impressed crescent mark with '& Sons' this would indicate that
the ware was produced around 1873 when it was changing from '& Co' to '& Sons'

Royal Patent Ironstone
George Jones & Sons
England