China manufacturers at the Grafton Works, Longton, Stoke-on-Trent, England

• There was a management buy out of Crown Lynn Ceramics (UK) Ltd in 1985 and the business was renamed Royal Grafton China Ltd.

• The partners were Anthony Boulton, John Bullock and Stanley Nicholls. 

• The business continued to use the trade name 'Royal Grafton' 

• In 1992 the business was acquired by the John Tams Group. The name Royal Grafton continued to be used.

Information supplied in 2024 by Anthony Boulton (one of the partners of RGC Ltd):

The business of RGC Ltd was acquired from the New Zealand company Ceramco, who owned the Crown Lynn brand. Prior to that it was known as Crown Lynn Ceramics (UK) Ltd. 

After the takeover in 1985, the company name was RGC Ltd (not Royal Grafton China Ltd). Tams took over the business in March 1992. They [Tams] went into receivership in 2000. Ultimately, the patterns, moulds, etc. were acquired by the current owners of Duchess China.

- click for details of the Corinth brochure - 

"The first piece of fine bone china to carry the Grafton name was made in 1876.

It was the creation of a certain A. B. Jones, whose wares became so popular that, as they grew up, he was able to take his sons into the business. 

The Grafton China Works produced bone china of the highest quality for the 'Home, Colonial and American markets,' and had an interesting sideline in heraldic miniatures, which over the years, have become extremely collectable.

Today, Royal Grafton is still a privately owned company. 

It still has uncompromisingly high standards of quality, and to achieve them, a very large percentage of its wares continue to rely on the tried and tested hand skills of potters and decorators, which have been handed done across the generations.

Among them, you'll find the Norfolk Collection, and important new shape represented in a variety of beautiful patterns. It's an eloquent example of fine bone china at its best." 

plate in the original Corinth pattern

"warm tones of red and ivory are a perfect contrast to the aquamarine motifs"