Royal Stanley, Fine Bone China, Staffordshire England - Antique Bone China Query

by Patricia Devaney
(UK)

Royal Stanley, Fine Bone China, Staffordshire England - Antique Bone China Query:- Hi, I'm not sure if you will be able to help me but a few years back at an antiques fair I purchased a small dish, I'm not sure what it is meant for. The base size is as large as the palm of my hand.

I have searched your site in vain as well as other international sites for the mark underneath the dish and come up a blank.

It is stamped underneath with: Royal Stanley, Fine Bone China, Staffordshire England and the mural on the lid is signed D.Wallace. The colours are all very vibrant and there are no chips.

The only similar items I have come across on the internet is the Royal Worcester brand. My searches keep coming up with Royal Stanley "Ware" which has an entirely different stamp so I assumed they are not related.

Is there anything you can tell me about my dish, it may just be some cheap knock off, but it is a gorgeous little piece and I have never come across anything like it again either at antique fairs or on the internet. I have attached some photo's for you. I look forward to your reply and any information you can provide.

Regards

Patricia Devaney

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Reply from Peter (admin) below - just scroll down

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Reply by Peter (admin)

To:- Royal Stanley Fine Bone China, Staffordshire, England Pottery Mark Query

Hi Patricia

Many thanks for your intriguing query. Colclough is one of my favorite companies, and so I was initially puzzled by your backstamp which is one I have never seen before and is not recorded in any of my reference books.

Let's look at the evidence!

"Established 1878"??? is the first clue to look at.

If you know the history of the 'Royal Stanley' pottery mark, which I briefly outline below, you will see there was no '1878' date that I can find.

Not a good start.

There are several other things that are 'off'. For example, the real antique Royal Stanley is not fine bone china at all, but the 'Art Nouveau' style products of an earthenware plant owned by H J Colclough (see below for more details).

There was an authentic antique maker of bone china items called 'The Stanley China Works' (Charles Amison & Co Ltd - not any connection with Colcloughs that I know about). Note, there is no use of the word "Royal" in any Amison pottery mark in any of my reference books I own. This company ceased trading in 1962. More on them later.

Your mark does not fit into any of the pottery marks for Royal Stanley that I have. However, that is not to say the mark is not a genuine one. The short answer is I'm not sure exactly what it is you've got here!

Identifications and valuations for vintage and fine china are specialist niches requiring vast amounts of knowledge and research material.

As it looks as if your question may need the services of an expert I suggest you go to the following page I wrote especially to help visitors to my site research the value their porcelain wares or china collection:

www.figurines-sculpture.com/antique-china-values.html

This unique identification & valuation resource will allow you to see if the mark is identifiable by experts without you having to pay any money upfront. My service is unique online and is designed to protect my site visitors from wasting their time and money online.

Anway, back to Colclough.

H.J. Colclough - see the main Colclough Bone China section for more info - had an interest in an earthenware works based at the Stanley Pottery, Longton (see Royal Stanley China).

From 1887 to 1928 this “Stanley Pottery” firm, was known as ‘Colclough & Co’, as distinct from the main H J Colclough bone china firm.

From 1928 Colclough & Co continued as the Stanley Pottery Ltd until c.1939.

Now, this is where the records become a bit blurry. There is very little information as to what additional marks were used, but when I searched I found pottery marks saying - ‘The Stanley Pottery Co’ and ‘The Stanley China Works’.

However, these marks, on investigation are completely separate firms. The Stanley Pottery Co. was based at Newport Lane, Middleport, Burslem and operated from c.1909-1937. They were most likely a brand designed for expert to America, not a domestic pottery mark.

The ‘Stanley China Works’, based in Longton, run by the firm mentioned above, called Charles Amison (& Co Ltd). They produced bone china and porcelains from 1889 - 1962. Their pottery marks are distinct from Colclough’s “Royal” Stanley, not only in that they never, to my knowledge, carry the word “Royal”, but also in that apart from their earlier pottery marks, they carry the words “bone china”. Remember, Colclough’s Royal Stanley was an earthenware maker, not a bone china plant, which needs specialist kilns.

So where does all that leave your un-documented Royal Stanley pottery mark?

Could it be one of the ‘other’ pottery marks used by the ‘Stanley Pottery Ltd’ 1928 – c.1939. Why would they use the date 1878?

Could it be a later Colclough mark used when they merged with Ridgways?

In my records of 1955, the Ridgway Potteries group included the following makers (note the conspicuous absence of Royal Stanley):

Adderley of Longton
Bedford Works of Shelton
Booths of Tunstall
Colclough of Longton
Gainsborough Works of Longton
North Staffordshire Pottery of Cobridge
Paladin of Fenton
Portland Pottery of Cobridge
Ridgway Potteries of Shelton

Again, why would they have used the random date of 1878 instead of the real date of 1887?

More questions than answers at this point!!

However, when looking at the reference books, I overlooked one vital clue. That is; Charles Amison & Co Ltd, the makers of Stanley bone china (without the 'Royal') actually began life as Amison and Lawson in 1878. A eureka moment if ever there was one.

This still does not explain why the makers of your wares, whether Amison or a successor, would start using the Colclough pottery mark of "Royal Stanley", rather than their traditional "STANLEY FINE BONE CHINA". Maybe it was a last ditch marketing effort in the 1960's to stay afloat?

Who knows?

Here is a summary of dates:

Amison and Lawson 1878 - 1889

Charles Amison & Co Ltd (Stanley China) 1889 - 1962

Not to be confused with:

The Stanley Pottery Co: c.1909-1937

Colclough & Co (Stanley Works): 1887 - 1928

The Stanley Pottery Ltd: 1928 - c.1939

Note:

Just for the record it may be useful to show the Colclough dates at this point:

H.J. Colclough - period: 1897 - 1937

Colclough China Ltd - period: 1937 - 1948

Booths & Colcloughs Ltd - period: 1948 - 1954

China antiquing is a noble and intriguing pastime, if sometimes somewhat complex! Hope this info helps rather than hinders.

Best regards,

Peter (admin)

p.s. The following page is a 'must see' if you are researching fine china - for value and identification:-

Researching the identity and value of antique and vintage fine china.