Royal Albert Ltd






 

Location and period of operation:

Royal Albert Ltd

Longton

1970

2002

 

  

China manufacturer at the St. Mary's Works, Longton, until 1998 and then at various Royal Doulton factories,  Stoke-on-Trent, England

  • In 1964 the business of Thomas C Wild & Sons Ltd was taken over by Person & Son Ltd and merged into their Lawley Group / Allied English Potteries Ltd. Although Wild and the other member companies continued to trade under their own names. 

  • Thomas C Wild had from 1905 used the name 'Royal Albert Crown China' as part of their branding. The name Royal Albert was registered in 1906. 

  • In 1962 Harold Holdcroft, the Art Director at Thomas C Wild & Sons designed the Old Country Roses pattern, which was to become one of the worlds best known and most popular patterns.

  • Through earlier deaths and resignations 1969 saw the end of the the Wild family involvement in Thomas C. Wild & Sons Ltd. 

  • In 1970 Allied English Potteries changed the name of their subsidiary Thomas C. Wild & Sons Ltd to Royal Albert Ltd.

  • In 1972 Royal Albert Ltd became a subsidiary of Royal Doulton Tableware Ltd following the amalgamation of the Royal Doulton and Allied English Potteries Ltd businesses.

  • 1998 saw the closure of the historic St Mary’s Works and transfer of the production of Royal Albert China to other Doulton factories including their manufacturing plant in Indonesia.

  • Between 1972 and 2002, as a Royal Doulton company, Royal Albert Ltd continued to manufacture the traditional fine bone china tableware and teawares made by its famous predecessor Thomas C Wild & Sons Ltd. Harold Holdcroft's Old Country Roses, introduced in 1962, remained the flagship of the Royal Albert brand.

  • From December 2002 all UK production of 'Royal Albert' ware had ceased. The production of ware with the Royal Albert brand name continued. 

  • 2005 Waterford Wedgwood completed a takeover of Royal Doulton and the Royal Albert brand was continued at Wedwood factories overseas. 

 

 

 

Previously: Thomas C Wild & Sons Ltd

Subsequently: The brand name 'Royal Albert' was continued by Wedgwood 

 

Marks used on ware for identification:

 

 

 


Questions, comments, contributions?  email: Steve Birks