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The story of Crown Staffordshire
Crown Staffordshire originates with the Green family and Thomas Green Sr., whom began the family connection with pottery making in 1790 at Burslem. He bought the Churchyard Works in 1795. The family moved to Somerset in 1812. Thomas Green Jr. returned to Staffordshire in 1822 after years of apprenticeship for Matthew Mayer (Shelton), Mintons, Copeland and Wedgwood.
In 1833 he rented the Minerva Works, with four of his sons; he commenced production of bone china. Two sons were salesmen, one was an artist and one became the production manager. The company remained on this site for the remainder of its history.
After Thomas Green Jr. died in 1859 his widow, Margaret, ran the company with her four sons for the next 17 years during which time it was known as M. Green & Co. In 1863, she purchased the Minerva Works which, until that time, had been leased. Following Margaret Green's death in 1876, two of her sons, Thomas Allen and Spencer, bought out their brothers and the company became T A & S Green. Thomas established London showrooms known as Green Bros. and Edis.
In 1897 Crown Staffordshire first appeared in the title of the firm and in 1903 it became Crown Staffordshire Porcelain Co. Ltd. By the turn of the century they were producing a wide range of bone china products including dinnerware, tea and coffee ware, miniatures, vases, cutlery handles, door furniture and floral china baskets. In the late 1920s Crown Staffordshire pioneered the large-scale production of china floral ornaments and china costume jewelery for which they became famous.
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