Earthenware manufacturer at the Alma Works, Longton, Stoke-on-Trent, England

• Originally (c.1892) as T Cone & Co - in partnership with Lewis Bentley

• Then as Thomas Cone Ltd. (1893 - c.1920)

• About 1920 the business was acquired by Thomas C Wild & Sons and was renamed Thomas Cone (Longton) Ltd. 

• In 1942 the Alma works were closed under the Wartime Concentration Scheme.

• In 1946 T.C. Wild sold the dormant business to a Mr. Rose who reopened the Alma Works, producing tableware under the name Thomas Cone.

• Around 1947/9 the business was aquired by Charles Bowers and traded as Thomas Cone Ltd., initially as part of the Keele Street Pottery Group and then from 1950 as part of Staffordshire Potteries (Holdings) Ltd. 

• In 1963 manufacturing was moved to the Staffordshire Potteries site in Meir and the Alma Works in Longton was closed - the Thomas Cone name became a production unit at the Meir Works.

Edith Gater (1930's) was an artist producing tube-lined wares. Patterns include the famous Springtime, she also contributed designs to the Morris Ware range at Sampson & Hancock. Later she worked for Cauldon Potteries also designing tube-lined wares. During the war Edith left to do war work and afterwards went to work at Thomas Cone, Longton.

Royal Alma
Est 1856
Made in England

mark introduced 1950+

T T C

monogram mark
with crown above  

NOTE: this mark is not that of Thomas Cone - it is that of Taylor, Tunnicliff & Co. Confusion can arise because of the similarity of the overlapping letters. 

The Thomas Cone monogram has one letter 'T' always has the town name 'LONGTON' and never has a crown. 

The Taylor, Tunnicliff monogram has two letter 'T's and usually has a crown above. 

'PHEASANT' is the 
pattern name

Alma Ware
England

1935-42

mark introduced 1946+

Royal Alma
Est 1856
Made in England

mark introduced 1950+

Est 1856
Royal Alma
Ironstone
Staffordshire
Made in England

11-73 is the date of manufacture - November 1973