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Welcome to the DPIS On-Line Exhibition of
Armorials, Crests and Monograms on Derby Porcelain.

(Originally featured on our web site during the winter of 2012-13)

A very brief history of armorial, crest and monogram wares.

By the middle of the 18th century, a major market in Chinese porcelain with armorial decoration had developed in England.  Both dinner and tea services decorated with the coats of arms, crests or monograms of the rich and titled families were mainly imported, with the fledgling English porcelain manufacturers either slow or unwilling to enter this market.  Surprisingly Chelsea, who derived many of their designs from silver where armorial decoration was commonplace, chose to ignore this potentially lucrative market. 

Worcester was the first to enter into this market in a more serious way, coming to largely dominate it until well into the 19th century.  Both Flight and Chamberlain factories produced many very rich, elaborate armorial services.

Derby produced many fine services for the nobility which most of us would instantly recognise like the "Northumberland" service, made in the 1780's and added to around 1790 and the "Camden" service (pattern 185) produced in the 1790's.  However, neither of these fine services bear the armorial of the titled family with which we associate them.

However, Derby did produce a number of armorial, crest and monogram services during the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries which, with a few notable exceptions, are not instantly recognised or appreciated.  The purpose of this exhibition is to bring a small number of these to your attention in an attempt to stimulate interest and research into this often ignored sector of Derby porcelain.

If any members or enthusiasts have information regarding any of the armorials or monograms which appear here, then please email this information to the Society Hon. Secretary.

A Selection of Armorial, Crest and Monogrammed Services From the Nottingham Road Factory.

Chelsea Derby cup and saucer for "Bishop of Durham" service c1782.  Puce crown over D.
"Arms of the Bishop of Durham, azure, a cross between four lions rampant, argent and a crest".

Derby puce marked coffee can and stand with crest and "A" monogram c1795.

Coffee Can from a service sold to G Wilson Esq, 21st December 1790. 

 

See the Duesbury Papers, Derby Local Studies Library.

 

Ex G. L. Pendred Collection.

Coffee cup from the "Ducie" service, c1791.  Puce mark.

Derby puce marked soup plate from the Cremorne Service c1788. 

 

For more information on this documented service, see Twitcett "Derby Porcelain 1748-1848, An illustrated Guide" pp 194-195.

Items from three different services produced for the Scarsdale family of Kedleston Hall.  The family at Kedleston were regular clients of the Derby factory.

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  • Derby puce marked tea bowl in pattern 198 with Scarsdale monogram c1790.

  • Derby puce marked coffee can with Scarsdale monogram c1795.

  • Derby pattern 278 cup and saucer with Scarsdale "S" monogram.  The cup is marked in puce, the saucer with a grey tone mark (not photographed) c1795.

Animals and birds are popular subjects for heraldic designs, here we have three examples -

  • Derby coffee can and saucer with hound crest over monogram EC.  Puce mark c1795.

  • Unmarked Derby cup and saucer with armorial with heron, presumed to be c1780 - 1790.  (See Members Feedback parts 1 and 5 at the bottom of the page for more information.)

  • Derby puce marked coffee can and stand of armorial with pigeon c1795.  Ex Shaw collection.

Derby yellow ground coffee can and stand with a crest, possibly of the Earl of Shrewsbury?  Puce marked c1795.

Derby porter mug with puce mark c1795.  BMH monogram.

Sometimes with a little careful research it is possible to link armorials etc with a particular family.  Here are three examples -

  • The "Barry Barry" or "Pendock Barry" service as it is also known.  Marked in gold (no photo) and dating to c1811.  See John Twitchett "Derby Porcelain 1748-1848 An Illustrated Guide" page 219 for an account on this interesting service.

  • Derby coffee can and stand, the can with "kidney" shaped handle, marked in gold.
    Crest relating to the marriage of Col. Charles John Kemeys-Tynte of Cefin Mabley, Glamorganshire and also of Halsewell (Halswell) House, Somerset to Elizabeth Swinnerton of Butterton House in Staffordshire, 1821.

  • Derby red marked coffee can and stand with crest of the Seymours, Dukes of Somerset and Marquesses of Hertford, c1810.

An Example of a Monogram Service from the King Street Factory.

Being a very small factory, the King Street factory in Derby was not so well positioned to attract custom from the more well to do and titled families as were the other two Derby factories.  However as this example shows, they did get some business from local nobility.

 

Porter mug from the Calke Abbey collection with monogram VHC for Vauncy Harper Crewe.  The style of the crossed swords mark is very similar to that of W. Rayworth, dating it to c1861-80.  

(By kind permission of the National Trust, Calke Abbey.)

A Few Examples of Monogrammed and Armorial Services from the Osmaston Road Factory.

Three examples of services produced by the Osmaston Road factory in Derby for wealthy, titled or influential families.

  • Derby Crown plate, breakfast cup and saucer, decorated by John Porter Wale.  HCS monogram, Derby Crown mark with date cypher for 1888 in red, together with the retail mark of Osler, London.

  • Royal Crown Derby saucer dish with monogram MSB.  Reverse with a gold mark and "A New Years Present to Mary Shuttleworth Boden from her Husband, 1898".  Signed by the foot rim "A Gregory".

  • Royal Crown Derby coffee can and trembleuse saucer, with the crest of the Duke of Bedford and made for his steam yacht "Sapphire" in 1912.  Though unsigned, it is believed to have been decorated by Cuthbert Gresley.  Red printed "England" mark and date cypher for 1912.

The Society would like to thank the members who allowed us access
 to their collections in order to compile this exhibition,

and also to The National Trust, Calke Abbey.

Members' Feedback.

1.  A member tells us they once had a cup and saucer similar to the unmarked cup and saucer with a heron which is in the group with animals/birds in the Nottingham Road section above.  They tell us that their example had the usual Derby crossed baton mark in black.  This suggests a date range of c1785-1800.

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2.  A further armorial from Calke Abbey, with thanks to the National Trust.  Royal Crown Derby vase, decorated and signed by A. F. Wood, marked below "Presented to Richard Finderne Harper Crewe Esq by the Derbyshire Tenants on his coming of age.  March 1901."   Pictured below.

3.  Details of an armorial plate, images below, kindly sent to us by a member.

The plate, diameter 22cm, is moulded in the well-known ‘Trotter’ pattern  and is decorated with a gilt and blue rim and, in gilt, William Howley’s Armorial as Bishop of London:

per pale: dexter, gules, two swords in saltire argent, hilts and pommels or, for the SEE OF LONDON; sinister, azure, an eagle displayed erminois, on the breast a plain cross gules, for HOWLEY.

William Howley (1766-1848) was born at Ropley, Hampshire, where his father was vicar. He was educated at Winchester School and in 1783 went to New College, Oxford. After some time working in Somerset as a private tutor, in 1809 he was appointed regius Professor of Divinity at Oxford University (as well as becoming a Fellow of Winchester and a Canon of Christ Church, Oxford.).  He was appointed Bishop of London in October 1813 and later, in 1828, Archbishop of Canterbury.  Pictured below.

4.  From the collection at Rode Hall, Cheshire.

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Derby porcelain tea bowl, an example of the armorial tea wares commissioned by Mrs Bootle c1780 to "match" Sir Thomas Bootle's earlier Chinese armorial porcelain.  Incised N mark.


For more information, see "English Ceramics at Rode Hall" by Julie McKeown, page 46.


Image by kind permission of Sir Richard Baker Wilbraham.

5.  A member has added to the information above regarding the second cup & saucer in the animals and birds part of the Nottingham Road section with further information in no. 1. of the Members Feedback section regarding the heron armorial. 

 

They confirm they too have a cup with this armorial which has a mark in black and have kindly sent this photo. 

 

They further point out that whilst it is not marked with a pattern number, it is based on pattern 15 as is the Bishop of Durham armorial right at the top of the page.

6.  Further items from the collection of the member who submitted point 5 above.

  1. Tea bowl and saucer with cockeral crest with RMH monogram below.  Both are marked in puce with a puce V by the footrim and date to c1790.

  2. Facetted coffee cup and saucer with crest of a castle and flag.  Marked in puce, c1790.  Both have a puce 3 for gilder William Cooper.

  3. A saucer with a crest of a crusader knight in armour holding a cross.  It is marked in puce and dates to c1795.

  4. A 9 inch diameter plate with grape border, similar to plate pattern 310 which is attributed in the pattern books to Torkington.  It is marked in puce and other than three stilt marks, there are no other marks.  It dates to c1800.

  5. Plate with armorial, reading ASPIRO at the head, and HONESTAE.GLORIA.FAX.MENTIS on the medallion at the base.  It is marked in red and dates to c1815.

  6. A plate measuring about 8.5 inches in diameter and marked in red, dating to c1815-20.

  7. The crest on this plate relates to the Bosville family of Yorkshire.  It is marked in red and dates to c1820.

  8. A 10 inch plate marked in red c1820.

7.  Three items from another member.

  • A plate from the Bloor Derby period which has a similar armorial to one in the Nottingham Road section.  However, this heron has an ear of corn in its mouth.  We do not have details of the mark to help with dating the plate but it is most likely c1830-40.  See also Members Feedback, No. 1.  It has been suggested that the armorial may relate to the Browne family of Islington.

  • A very similar plate and armorial to the one found in Members Feedback No. 3.  However on closer inspection it can be seen that the armorial is different, though still that of a bishop.  It will be from a similar period to the one above, though we don't have details of the mark to help with dating.  We would suggest it is c1820.

  • Another plate with the "Trotter" style of moulding, presumably dating it to c1820-25.  We do not have details of the mark. 

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