Charles Meigh & Son was one of the most respected pottery manufacturers operating in Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent Staffordshire, during the mid-Victorian period. Trading under this name from 1850 to 1861, 

The firm continued the long-established Meigh family tradition at the Old Hall Works and developed a reputation for producing wares that combined practical domestic use with decorative quality. 

Their output ranged from everyday household ceramics such as plates, dishes, teacups, jugs, and cake stands to more refined table services marked “Improved Felspar,” “Stone China,” or “Opaque Porcelain,” terms used to denote a whiter, finer and more durable earthenware body. 

Alongside these domestic wares, Charles Meigh & Son became especially noted for their richly moulded and ornamental pieces, including relief jugs, Gothic Revival designs, and highly decorative presentation wares that appealed to the growing Victorian middle class. The crispness of their moulding and the quality of their glazes placed them above the level of purely utilitarian Staffordshire pottery, while their best decorative pieces compared favourably with other leading Hanley makers of the period.

• The partners were Charles Meigh and his son - also named Charles Meigh. This partnership succeeded that of Charles Meigh, Son & Pankhurst.

• A wide range of earthenware and ironstone ware was produced ranging from exhibition pieces (they exhibited at the 1851 Great Exhibition) to decorated table ware and white ironstone ware. 

• In March 1861 Charles Meigh jnr. transferred the business to a limited liability company called the Old Hall Earthenware Company Ltd. This was the first limited liability company in the Staffordshire Potteries.

Good-quality domestic tableware rather than cheap utilitarian ware.

This formed a substantial part of their output. In common with many earthenware manufacturers typical items included: 

plates, dishes, bowls and teacups and saucers;  

serving pieces, tureens and cake stands; 

wash sets and jugs.

SUSA
C M & S

relief moulded cake stand with hand colouring

The turquoise / blue-green border with the reticulated edge and leaf moulding is very characteristic of Victorian dessert and cake services.

This cake stand represents good-quality domestic tableware 
rather than cheap utilitarian ware.  

Improved Felspar
C. Meigh & Son

(impressed mark) 

“Improved Felspar” does not refer to a pattern name. It describes the body of the ware.

This is where Meigh really built a reputation. They produced: 

Quality transfer-printed dinner services; hand-painted floral wares and dessert ware; 

Everyday relief moulded jugs.

Patterns such as Poppy and Gem show the better decorated side of their output.

Improved Stone China 
(impressed) 
around the border: Meigh Hanley  

Poppy 
C.M. & S.

all these marks appear on the same plate

 
Improved
Stone China 

GEM
C M & S

3) High-quality ornamental and exhibition pieces

This is arguably their finest work. Charles Meigh is especially admired for:

Crisp moulded relief stoneware, Gothic Revival jugs;

Cabinet plates - intended for display rather than everyday use;

Exhibition wares.

Charles Meigh (& Son) produce high-quality ornamental and exhibition pieces - They also exhibited at the Great Exhibition of 1851, which demonstrates a maker of recognised quality as well as merely everyday ware. 

Godden - Guide to Ironstone, Stone & Granite Wares, colour plate 43, p.51

"I show in Colour Plate 43 a magnificent and high decorative Charles Meigh earthenware plate which would seem to be of the quality included in the firms stand at the 1851 Exhibition.

This hand-painted example bears an impressed Charles Meigh 'Opaque Porcelain' mark but over this has been applied a Royal Arms mark with the inscription 'Ironstone China' incorporated in the ribbon below. 

I here reproduce this rare mark"

Meigh's China
Iron Stone 

Godden - Guide to Ironstone, Stone & Granite Wares,  p.286

Godden (Encyclopaedia of British Pottery and Porcelain Marks, p.429) states that 
the initials 'M. & S.' are used.

However in his later book (Guide to Ironstone, Stone & Granite Wares, p.287) he notes that "American authorities have attributed 'M. & S.' initial marks to Charles Meigh & Son. This seems very unlikely. I believe that the full initials 'C. M. & S.' were used. 
The 'M. & S.' initials are more likely to relate to Maddock & Seddon c.1839-42" 

“Felspar” (an older spelling of feldspar) is a mineral added to the clay mix to create a harder, whiter, finer earthenware or ironstone body.

The word “Improved” was very much Victorian sales language.

Aberdeen is the pattern name

printed faux Chinese mark

(photo enhanced) 

Godden (Encyclopaedia of British Pottery and Porcelain Marks, p.429)

Godden - Guide to Ironstone, Stone & Granite Wares,  p.286

other wording included "Indian Stone China" or "French China"