Paragon China
Encyclopedia
The Paragon China Company was a British
manufacturer of bone china
from 1919 to 1960, based in Longton
, Stoke-on-Trent
, previously known as the Star China Company, and more recently part of the Royal Doulton
group. Paragon was noted for producing high quality teaware
and tableware
, and was granted royal warrant
s by several members of the British Royal Family
.
between Herbert Aynsley (great-grandson of the founder of Aynsley China
) and Hugh Irving, trading until 1919, and using Paragon as a trade name from about 1900. In 1919, after Aynsley's retirement the company name was changed to Paragon China Company Limited. Irving's two sons subsequently became managing directors of the business.
In its early history the firm manufactured tea and breakfast wares, exporting to Australia
, New Zealand
and South Africa
. However in the 1930s, Paragon expanded both its market, to include the Americas, and its range of products to include dinnerware. Also at this time, Paragon began its move towards creating a smokeless factory, installing electric kiln
s.
The 1960s saw the company change hands several times, owned for a while by T.C. Wild, then forming part of Allied English Potteries, then becoming part of Royal Doulton.
The Paragon name has been retained, mainly with designs based on traditional floral patterns. Unfortunately the early Paragon pattern books are presumed lost, however the Royal commemorative designs are still sought by collectors.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
manufacturer of bone china
Bone china
Bone china is a type of soft-paste porcelain that is composed of bone ash, feldspathic material and kaolin. It has been defined as ware with a translucent body containing a minimum of 30% of phosphate derived from animal bone and calculated calcium phosphate...
from 1919 to 1960, based in Longton
Longton, Staffordshire
Longton is a southern district of Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England, and is known locally as the "Neck End" of the city. Longton is one of the six towns of "the Potteries" which formed the City of Stoke-on-Trent in 1925.-History:...
, Stoke-on-Trent
Stoke-on-Trent
Stoke-on-Trent , also called The Potteries is a city in Staffordshire, England, which forms a linear conurbation almost 12 miles long, with an area of . Together with the Borough of Newcastle-under-Lyme Stoke forms The Potteries Urban Area...
, previously known as the Star China Company, and more recently part of the Royal Doulton
Royal Doulton
The Royal Doulton Company is an English company producing tableware and collectables, dating to 1815. Operating originally in London, its reputation grew in The Potteries, where it was a latecomer compared to Spode, Wedgwood and Minton...
group. Paragon was noted for producing high quality teaware
Teaware
Teaware encompasses a broad international spectrum of equipment used in the brewing and consumption of tea. Many components make up that spectrum, and vary greatly based upon the type of tea being prepared, and the cultural setting in which it is bring prepared...
and tableware
Tableware
Tableware is the dishes or dishware , dinnerware , or china used for setting a table, serving food, and for dining. Tableware can be meant to include flatware and glassware...
, and was granted royal warrant
Royal Warrant
Royal warrants of appointment have been issued for centuries to those who supply goods or services to a royal court or certain royal personages. The warrant enables the supplier to advertise the fact that they supply to the royal family, so lending prestige to the supplier...
s by several members of the British Royal Family
British Royal Family
The British Royal Family is the group of close relatives of the monarch of the United Kingdom. The term is also commonly applied to the same group of people as the relations of the monarch in her or his role as sovereign of any of the other Commonwealth realms, thus sometimes at variance with...
.
History
The Star China company was founded in 1897 as a partnershipPartnership
A partnership is an arrangement where parties agree to cooperate to advance their mutual interests.Since humans are social beings, partnerships between individuals, businesses, interest-based organizations, schools, governments, and varied combinations thereof, have always been and remain commonplace...
between Herbert Aynsley (great-grandson of the founder of Aynsley China
Aynsley China
Aynsley China Ltd. is a British manufacturer of bone china tableware, giftware and commemorative items. The company was founded in 1775 by John Aynsley in Lane End, Longton, Staffordshire. In 1861 his grandson John Aynsley built the historic Portland Works on Sutherland Road, Longton. The company...
) and Hugh Irving, trading until 1919, and using Paragon as a trade name from about 1900. In 1919, after Aynsley's retirement the company name was changed to Paragon China Company Limited. Irving's two sons subsequently became managing directors of the business.
In its early history the firm manufactured tea and breakfast wares, exporting to Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
and South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
. However in the 1930s, Paragon expanded both its market, to include the Americas, and its range of products to include dinnerware. Also at this time, Paragon began its move towards creating a smokeless factory, installing electric kiln
Kiln
A kiln is a thermally insulated chamber, or oven, in which a controlled temperature regime is produced. Uses include the hardening, burning or drying of materials...
s.
The 1960s saw the company change hands several times, owned for a while by T.C. Wild, then forming part of Allied English Potteries, then becoming part of Royal Doulton.
The Paragon name has been retained, mainly with designs based on traditional floral patterns. Unfortunately the early Paragon pattern books are presumed lost, however the Royal commemorative designs are still sought by collectors.
Royal warrants
- 1926 - The Duchess of YorkDuchess of YorkDuchess of York is the principal courtesy title held by the wife of the Duke of York. The title is gained with marriage alone and is forfeited upon divorce. Four of the twelve Dukes of York did not marry or had already assumed the throne prior to marriage, therefore there have only ever been eleven...
(Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon) commissioned china for the nursery of Princess Elizabeth (now Queen Elizabeth IIElizabeth II of the United KingdomElizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
). This pattern is known as "Two for Joy", originating from the English number rhyme One for sorrow, Two for joy associated with magpieMagpieMagpies are passerine birds of the crow family, Corvidae.In Europe, "magpie" is often used by English speakers as a synonym for the European Magpie, as there are no other magpies in Europe outside Iberia...
s, and the legend that two magpies were seen at the christeningInfant baptismInfant baptism is the practice of baptising infants or young children. In theological discussions, the practice is sometimes referred to as paedobaptism or pedobaptism from the Greek pais meaning "child." The practice is sometimes contrasted with what is called "believer's baptism", or...
of Princess Elizabeth.
- 1930 - The Duchess of York commissioned a tea service to mark the birth of Princess Margaret Rose (later Princess Margaret, Countess of SnowdonPrincess Margaret, Countess of SnowdonPrincess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon was the younger sister of Queen Elizabeth II and the younger daughter of King George VI....
). This pattern also has two birds, as well as margueriteMargueriteMarguerite is the French form of a female given name which derives from the Greek Μαργαρίτης meaning "pearl")...
and roseRoseA rose is a woody perennial of the genus Rosa, within the family Rosaceae. There are over 100 species. They form a group of erect shrubs, and climbing or trailing plants, with stems that are often armed with sharp prickles. Flowers are large and showy, in colours ranging from white through yellows...
flower designs, referring to the given nameGiven nameA given name, in Western contexts often referred to as a first name, is a personal name that specifies and differentiates between members of a group of individuals, especially in a family, all of whose members usually share the same family name...
s of the princess.
- 1933 - Queen Mary granted a Royal Warrant of Appointment
- 1938 - Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother granted a Royal Warrant of Appointment
- 1953 - Queen Elizabeth II granted a Royal Warrant of Appointment
External links
- www.paragonpottery.com Pottery collectors website
- Paragon International Collectors Club Website, last updated July 26, 2004
- Paragon pieces to explore online