Doulton & Co (Ltd)

Doulton began as a partnership between John Doulton, Martha Jones, and John Watts, at a factory in Lambeth, London in 1815. They specialised in making stoneware articles, such as decorative bottles and salt glaze sewer pipes. The company took on the Doulton name in 1853 when John, and his son Henry, established themselves as makers of fine English stoneware. Manufacturing continued here until 1956.

In 1877 Henry Doulton became a partner in a failing pottery company: Pinder, Bourne and Co at Nile Street in Burslem. In the same year Henry Doulton was knighted, a few years later he was awarded the Albert Medal by the Royal Society of Arts.
The Pinder/Doulton partnership was not a success and in March 1881 Thomas Shadford Pinder retired and the business was continued by Sir Henry Doulton and his brother, James Duneau Doulton. Also in 1881 Henry's only son, Henry Lewis Doulton was made a partner.
The name of Pinder, Bourne & Co. continued to be used until 1882 when it became Doulton & Co.

The London Gazette
8th March 1881

notice that Thomas Shadford Pinder retired from the partnership
of Pinder, Bourne & Co and the business was continued
by Henry Doulton and his brother, James Duneau Doulton.

James Duneau Doulton died in 1889 and Sir Henry Doulton died in 1897. The business continued under the leadership of Henry's son, Henry Lewis Doulton.
In 1899 the business was incorporated as Doulton & Co. Ltd. On the incorporation of the business Henry Lewis Doulton assumed the positions of Managing Director and first Chairman of Doulton & Co. Ltd.
In 1901 the Royal Warrant was granted by King Edward VIII.
In 1919 Henry Lewis Doulton's nephew, Lewis John Eric Hooper, took over the position of Managing Director and he also became Chairman in 1925 when Henry Lewis Doulton retired. Lewis Hooper remained chairman until 1955.
Doulton & Co (Burslem) remained open during the Second World War under the Wartime Concentration Scheme - they were permitted to produce undecorated domestic ware. They also produced canteen ware for the British armed forces.
In June 1945 Doulton & Co (both Burslem & Lambeth factories) were granted a licence to produce 'fancies' for the home market.
In 1955-56 the Doulton group was restructured in January 1956 four divisions were created: Doulton Fine China Ltd who manufactured earthenware and china ware at Nile Street, Doulton Sanitary Potteries Ltd, Doulton Industrial Porcelains Ltd and Doulton Vitrified Pipes Ltd. At this time the Lambeth, London studios were closed.
In 1968 Doulton took over the businesses of Mintons Ltd and Dunn Bennett and Co Ltd and the following year took over John Beswick Ltd and also acquired the Stourbridge based glass manufacturing company of Webb Corbett Ltd.
In November 1971 S. Pearson & Son (Ltd) - who were already owners of Allied English Potteries Ltd - acquired Doulton & Co Ltd and merged the two groups under the Doulton name.
In August 1972 it was announced that "Allied English Potteries will become a subsidiary of Doulton and its name will be changed to Royal Doulton Tableware Ltd.

"From January 1973 the new company became custodian of the tableware and giftware assets of the two groups including the Royal Doulton, Minton, Beswick, Dunn Bennett, Booths, Colclough, Royal Albert, Royal Crown Derby, Paragon, Ridgway, Queen Anne, Royal Adderley and Royal Floral names and their vast manufacturing operations.

The company also held the 50 Lawley china and glass retail stores inherited from Allied English Potteries.

Royal Doulton Tableware Ltd was a subsidiary of Doulton & Co Ltd, itself a subsidiary of the Pearson Group. The name was in use until at least 1983 and probably until the float of Royal Doulton PLC in 1993"

'A Handbook of British Pottery Manufacturers 1900-2010' Michael Perry

December 1992 saw a floatation on the London Stock Exchange and the formation of Royal Doulton PLC.
Poor financial performance saw the sale of certain subsidiaries and substantial rationalisation. In spite of this action losses continued and with estimated debts of £26m, 2002 saw the closure of Doulton's Baddeley Green factory with the loss of 500 jobs and the transfer of the production of 'Royal Albert' to Indonesia. Later in 2002 the Beswick Gold Street works in Longton was also closed with the loss of 200 jobs. (BBC News).
In March 2004 it was announced that the original Nile Street works, the only remaining Doulton UK manufacturing facility, would be closed.
In February 2005 Waterford Wedgwood, who already had a large stake in Doulton shares, completed a nearly £40m take over of of Royal Doulton PLC.
In April 2005 manufacturing at the Nile Street works ceased and production of the Royal Doulton, Minton and Royal Albert brands was transferred to factories of the Waterford Wedgwood group - most of which were overseas.