Taylor & Kent






 

Location and period of operation:

Taylor & Kent

Longton

1876

1982

 

China and Majolica manufacturers at the Florence Works, High Street, Longton, Stoke-on-Trent

  • Many sources give the foundation date as 1867 - Jewitt's book 'Ceramic Art of Great Britain 1800-1900' states "Messrs. Taylor & Kent were established at the Florence Works in 1867" - however the date on the frontage of the works is clearly '1876', so perhaps there was a typo in Jewitt's book which has been continued by others.  

  • Although the company retained the name 'Taylor & Kent' it was controlled by the Kent family from an early age. 

  • The company closed temporarily from 1941 for the duration of the Second World War. 

  • In 1947 it was purchased by two brothers - Oswald and Derek Shufflebottom, the company name 'Taylor & Kent' was unchanged. 

  • 1961 the company used the trade name 'Elizabethan China'

  • In 1982 the company became 'Elizabethan Fine Bone China Ltd'

 

Subsequently:  Elizabethan Fine Bone China Ltd

 



Taylor & Kent
Florence Works, Longton

China & Majolica Manufacturers
for Home and Foreign Markets

The Pottery Gazette,  January 1885 

Taylor & Kent Ltd 
Florence Works, Longton, Stoke-on-Trent

Pottery Gazette and Glass Trade Review,  April 1953

 


Taylor & Kent Crested China
 Florentine China
 mostly made 1900-25 


Taylor & Kent trio

1930s style


tea sets in the Harlequin pattern 



cup and saucer in the Harlequin pattern

produced under the ELIZABETHAN trade name

1961+ 

 

 

Marks & initials used on ware for identification:

 


Asiatic Pheasants
T & K  L

'Asiatic Pheasants' is the pattern name

 

T & K
L

'L' stands for LONGTON
the town where the factory was located 

c.1876+


FLORENTINE CHINA 

This Florentine China mark was used on Crested China
and souvenir ware - mostly made 1900-25 

KENT CHINA

 


T & K
L

c.1880 - 1906 
OLD DRESDEN is the pattern name

the registration number 219806 shows the pattern was registered 
6th October 1893 
T & K
L
Florentine China
Made in England

c.1906+ 
this mark was still in use in the 1950s

Made in England
T & K
L

c.1912+ 

variations of this style of mark occur
Made in England
Taylor & Kent
Longton

c.1912+ 

4939 is the pattern number
Kent
Bone China
Taylor & Kent
Longton
England

this style of mark was in use in the 1930s

 

 


Bone China
Taylor & Kent
Longton
England

c.1939+


Kent China
T & KL
ongton
England

probably 1939+

 

 


KENT
Bone China
Taylor & Kent
England

c.1950+
KENT
Bone China
Taylor & Kent
England

c.1950+

variations of this style of mark occur

 

 

ELIZABETHAN

the trade name Elizabethan was introduced in 1961


Elizabethan
Fine Bone China
by Taylor & Kent
England

c.1961+

 

 

    

- click for more on the Florence Works -

Questions, comments, contributions? email: Steve Birks