The ceramic art of Great Britain from pre-historic times down to the present day, Volume 1 (of 2) : $b being a history of the ancient and modern pottery and porcelain works of the kingdom and of their productions of every classJewitt, Llewellynn Frederick William
History
The ceramic art of Great Britain from pre-historic times down to the present day, Volume 1 (of 2) : $b being a history of the ancient and modern pottery and porcelain works of the kingdom and of their productions of every class
Jewitt, Llewellynn Frederick William
Pottery, British -- History
After many changes in proprietorship,[82] the Worcester works, in 1783,
were purchased by Mr. T. Flight, a merchant of Bread Street, London,
and of Hackney (who was agent to the Worcester Porcelain Company), for
his sons, Joseph and John, for the sum of £3,000, including premises,
models, plant, and stock, and here he established them. These two
brothers were jewellers, and carried on both concerns at the same time.
Under their management the works rapidly more than regained their
former eminence, and became very successful. The mark used by Messrs.
Flight was as follows--simply the name in writing letters. Another mark
of this period was the name _FLIGHTS_, in italic capitals, impressed
on the ware, sometimes with the crescent painted in blue. In 1786
Joseph Flight, one of the partners, “jeweller and china manufacturer,”
advertised that he had taken Mr. Bradley’s shop, 33, High Street.
Shortly afterwards he removed to larger premises, No. 45, where he
received the king and queen.
[Illustration: Fig. 521.]
[Illustration: Figs. 522 and 523.]
[Illustration: Figs. 524 to 526.]
In 1788 an event of great importance to the works occurred. In that
year the king, George III., with Queen Charlotte and the princesses,
visited Worcester, and having gone through the porcelain works, and
been much pleased with the beauty of the articles manufactured, his
majesty desired that the word “royal” might be prefixed to the name,
and recommended the proprietors to open a show-room in London. This
suggestion was at once acted upon, and a warehouse opened in Coventry
Street, which secured a large and very fashionable patronage for the
ware. After the king’s visit the distinctive mark of a crown was added
to the marks, which at this time were the following. The subsequent
changes in the proprietorship, consequent on deaths, were “Messrs.
Flight and Barr”--Mr. Martin Barr having joined the concern in
1793--“Barr, Flight, and Barr,” and “Flight, Barr, and Barr” (Joseph
Flight, Martin Barr, and Martin Barr, jun., and afterwards George
Barr in place of the elder Martin). From 1829 till 1840 the firm was
simply “Barr and Barr,” the parties being Martin and George Barr. Some
of the marks I here give. Others, which were _printed_ marks, it is
scarcely worth while to engrave; they are as follows:--“_Flight, Barr,
and Barr_”--B, the initial of Barr, scratched in the ware; “Barr,
Flight, and Barr, Royal Porcelain Works, Worcester; London House, No.
1, Coventry Street,” in five lines, and surmounted by two crowns;
“B.F.B.,” imprint on the ware: “Barr, Flight, and Barr, Royal Porcelain
Works, Worcester; London House, Flight and Barr, Coventry Street”
(within an oval), “Manufacturers to their Majesties, Prince of Wales,
and Royal Family; established 1751” (surrounding the oval); the whole
surmounted by a crown and the Prince of Wales’s feathers: “Flight,
Barr, and Barr, Proprietors of the Royal Porcelain Works, Worcester,
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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