Histories of UK potters and pottery manufacturers

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Image courtesy of Lema Publishing Ltd, publishers of ‘Tableware International’ www.tablewareinternational.com

Last updated: 1st August 2011

DATING DOULTON - REGISTERED DESIGN NUMBERS

Registration of a design (shape) or pattern was a means of protection that could be used by manufacturers (the system applied to all industries) to prevent competitors from copying their designs. The scheme was introduced by the British Government and from 1842, designs could be registered with the Design Office who in turn issued a uniquely coded diamond shaped device that the manufacturer applied to his goods.

In January 1884 the method of registration was simplified and registration of design, trade marks and patents consolidated using a simple system of consecutive numbers. The number of registrations is enormous and the table below lists the approximate number at the beginning of each year. The system has continued to the present day.

The numbers in the table can be used to estimate the year in which a design (or shape) was registered, and this its earliest year of manufacture.

Note:

• Ceramics make up only a proportion of the registrations
• Pottery manufacturers registered both shapes and particular patterns which they wanted to protect. Probably the majority of registrations are for shapes.
• The number is a guide to the earliest possible date of manufacture. Protection was for five years, but use of the Rd. No. usually continued for far longer.
• As an example, a piece bearing the Rd. No. 760000 was registered in late-1930.

©Michael Perry 2011