Francesca Art China (Staffordshire) Ltd
Francesca China Ltd






 

Location and period of operation:

Francesca China Ltd

Longton

1975

1990

 

 

China manufacturer at Sutherland Place, Longton, Stoke-on-Trent, England.

  • Francesca China was established in 1975 by John Robinson, who previously had a managerial role at Royal Doulton, to produce hand-made, high quality, limited edition bone china figurines.

  • An introductory leaflet states that "Francesca China was formed in 1975 around a small team of Craftsmen and Artists of Ability. This dedicated group with over 300 years collective experience with Spode, Doulton and Coalport is building a reputation for quality that discerning collectors have been quick to appreciate"

  • The business met with financial difficulty and in March 1981 entered voluntary liquidation. 

  • The company survived and in 1982 started to produce ceramic thimbles. These proved to be very popular and a number of series were issued. Some thimbles were dated an these dates stretch from 1982 to 1990 when in June 1990 the company was once again wound up.     

 

 

 


Fridays child
Francesca Art China
Fridays child is loving and giving
by Ivan Sutton
Staffordshire England

the numbers 9.79 indicate that the figure was produced
 in September 1979

In 1979, to commemorate the UNICEF Year of the Child, the company produced a set of seven child figures based on the nursery rhyme 'Monday's Child' 

These were known to still be in production in 1986

 

 


Siamese Cat
Francesca Art China
Siamese
by T. Kelsall
Staffordshire England

the numbers 10/80 indicate that the figure was produced in October 1980

 

 

 

Collector Thimbles by Francesca

 


Collector Thimble by Francesca
Francesca Art China
Staffordshire England

this character is Anne Hathaway

Post 1982 Francesca China issued a number of sets of ceramic thimbles and collecting these soon became a popular hobby for many due to their relatively low cost, small size, aesthetic appeal, and historical significance. 

Part of the appeal was that they were perfect to give as gifts and could be collected as individuals or a set.  

  • Each character has thimble indentations on the head but these are sometimes difficult to see when they have been filled with paint and glaze. 

  • There are variations in the colour palate used for each character (dependant on the artist) - this gives a a distinctive difference in appearance and expression. Some were also available unpainted but glazed. 

  • At least 114 characters are known to have been produced.

  • Some characters were issued with and without a hat for example both Tom Sawyer and Winston Churchill.

  • For the six clowns series some of the Dickens character blanks were used. 
    So the Artful Dodger became     Cuddles the clown, Mr Dick was Whoopie,  Tommy Traddles - Winkie, Bill Sikes - Coco, Uriah Heep was Bojangles and Mr Micawber became Sparkles. 

 

 

- click for a comprehensive description of Francesca Thimbles by Sue Gowan -    

 

      

 

this example of the Shakespeare thimble
gives and idea of the size 

 

 

 


Tudor thimble Collection - King Henry VIII and his six Wives 

 


F
Henry VIII
Staffordshire England 

 

 

 

American Collection: Abraham Lincoln, George Washington, Martha Washington, Theodore Roosevelt, Thomas Jefferson, Mark Twain, Huckleberry Finn, Tom Sawyer, Statue of Liberty, American Bald Eagle. 
Composers: Bach, Beethoven, Mozart, Schubert
Dickens collection: 

Charles Dickens plus some of the characters from his novels.  

Novel  Characters
Oliver Twist:  Oliver Twist, Artful Dodger, Bill Sikes, Bullseye, Fagin, Mr. Bumble, Nancy
David Copperfield:  David Copperfield, Little Emily, Mr Dick, Mr Micawber, Tommy Traddles, Uriah Heep
Great Expectations: Pip, Estella, Abel Magwitch, Mrs Haversham
Little Dorrit: Little Dorrit 
The Old Curiosity Shop: Little Nell
The Pickwick Papers: Mr Pickwick, Sergent Bux Fux
Nicholas Nickleby: Nicholas Nickleby, Mrs Squeers, Wackford Squeers, Smike
Martin Chuzzlewick: Pecksniff, Sairey Gamp
A Christmas Carol: Scrooge, Tiny Tim
Famous characters: 
Originally a set of six leaders and heroes, Francis Drake and Walter Raleigh was later added to the set.		 Napoleon, Josephine, Lady Hamilton, Lord Nelson, Duke of Wellington,  Sir Francis Drake, Sir Walter Raleigh, Winston Churchill.
Literary characters: 
These consist of a set of characters from Shakespeare's plays and four other well known literary characters.  

William Shakespeare & Anne Hathaway, Mark Antony & Cleopatra, Romeo & Juliet, Macbeth & Lady Macbeth, Othello, Desdemona, 

Sherlock Holmes, Dr Watson, Robbie Burns, Tam O'Shanter
Tudor Collection: 
These consist of the Tudor King Henry VIII and his six wives. 
 King Henry VIII, Katherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn, Jane Seymour, Anne of Cleves, Catherine Howard and Kateryn Parr. 
British Royal characters: 
Originally a set of six, the Earl of Essex was added later to the set.
 Mary Queen of Scots, Queen Elizabeth I, The Earl of Essex, King Charles II, Nell Gwynn, Queen Victoria, Prince Albert. 
Snowmen: 
A set of four all with a sprig of holly in their differing hats.  		Flat cap, Bowler hat, Top hat, Trilby.  
Clowns Collection: Bojangles, Coco, Cuddles, Sparkles, Whoopie, Winkie.
Floral bonnets: 
A set of twelve thimbles with four differently shaped hats - two types of bonnet, brimmed hat and a cloche. Each bonnet has a flower attached. 
A set of identical thimbles were also issued with the months of the year painted inside. 
Narcissus (January), Anemone (February), Violet (March), Rose (April), Pansy (May), Cornflower (June), Primrose (July), Forget-me-nots (August), Wild Rose (September), Dogwood (October), Christmas Rose (November), Holly (December)
Dogs Heads: 
Produced in matt and gloss finish. 		 Border Collie, Black Labrador, Golden Labrador, Old English Sheep Dog, Springer Spaniel (black), Springer Spaniel (brown), West Highland Terrier, Yorkshire Terrier 
Other characters: 
 Baby Bunting in pink and blue - also in a crib (which formed a needle tray), 
Good King Wenceslas, John Paul II 

 

Questions, comments, contributions? email: Steve Birks