Doulton and Co., Ltd.

British firm

Also known as: Doulton and Watts

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Last updated

June 25, 2026

Quick Summary

Doulton and Co., Ltd. was an English pottery firm established in 1815 by John Doulton in Lambeth, London, initially known as Doulton and Watts. The company, which later became Doulton and Co. (Ltd.), was renowned for its utilitarian stoneware and earthenware.1

Around 1871, students from the Lambeth School of Art began decorating Doulton's stoneware, marking a significant development in ornamental pottery and artist-pottery in England. In 1877–78, Doulton acquired a factory in Burslem, Staffordshire, which became known for its fine porcelains, achieving particular success in the United States and Canada. In 1901, the company received royal authorization and began marketing its products as Royal Doulton. The factory closed in 1956.1

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pottery
Stoneware and earthenware
After about 1860 Doultons of Lambeth (London) copied 18th-century brown stoneware, making small figures and repeating earlier designs. The incised decoration by Hannah Barlow is both pleasant and competent. From a Fulham pottery owned by the Martin brothers came grotesque and often amusing stoneware vases that were sometimes…
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After about 1860 Doultons of Lambeth (London) copied 18th-century brown stoneware, making small figures and repeating earlier designs. The incised decoration by Hannah Barlow is both pleasant and competent. From a Fulham pottery owned by the Martin brothers came grotesque and often amusing stoneware vases that were sometimes…
Read More

Doulton ware
…John Watts and known as Doulton and Watts. The company became Doulton and Co. (Ltd.) about 1858 and remained so until the factory closed in 1956.
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…John Watts and known as Doulton and Watts. The company became Doulton and Co. (Ltd.) about 1858 and remained so until the factory closed in 1956.
Read More