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Plymouth Porcelain Factory

Also known as: Plymouth Porcelain Factory; primary name: Plymouth Porcelain Factory
Details: organisation
Other dates: 1768-1770
Biography: The Plymouth Porcelain Factory was owned by William Cookworthy, a Quaker and chemist based in Notte St, Plymouth. Cookworthy had for many years been experimenting with the production of porcelain since he discovered China Clay readily available in Cornwall circa 1755. Cookworthy recieved a patent for hard paste porcelain production on March 17th, 1768. The Plymouth factory is thought to have been located on Coxside, on Sutton Pool in Plymouth although no excavations have proved this conclusively. The factory only ran for two years from 1768-1770 before it moved to Bristol due the larger factory premises there and more easily available fuel for the kiln. Cookworthy ran the Bristol factory in partnership with Bristol merchant Richard Champion. When Cookworthy retired in 1773, Champion bought the patent for making hard paste porcelain and Cookworthy's interest in the factory and continued to run the business until it closed in 1781 with the sale of the patent to the proprietors of the New Hall China Manufactory.
Bibliography: 'Cookworthy's Plymouth and Bristol Porcelain,' by FS.Mackenna, 1943. 'The Location of the Plymouth Factory Part I,' by Colin Hanley, Transactions of the English Ceramic Circle, Volume 18, Part 1, 2002. 'The Plymouth Porcelain Factory, Letters to Thomas Pitt, 1766-1769,' by Geoffrey Wills, Apollo Magazine December 1980 and January 1981.

16 related objects

base

Museum number: 1896,1118.1 |
Producer name: Factory of:William CookworthyFactory of:Plymouth Porcelain Factory |
Production date: 1768-1770 |
Production place: Factory in:Plymouth (Devon)

coffee-pot

Museum number: 1970,0104.47 |
Producer name: Factory of:William CookworthyFactory of:Plymouth Porcelain Factory |
Production date: 1768-1770 |
Production place: Factory in:Plymouth (Devon)

figure

Museum number: 1945,1003.1 |
Producer name: Factory of:William CookworthyFactory of:Plymouth Porcelain Factory |
Production date: 1768-1770 |
Production place: Factory in:Plymouth (Devon)

figure

Museum number: 1940,1101.46 |
Producer name: Factory of:Plymouth Porcelain FactoryFactory of:William Cookworthy |
Production date: 1768-1770 |
Production place: Factory in:Plymouth (Devon)

figure

Museum number: 1887,0307,I.12 |
Producer name: Factory of:William CookworthyFactory of:Plymouth Porcelain Factory |
Production date: 1768-1770 |
Production place: Factory in:Plymouth (Devon)

figure

Museum number: 1887,0307,VII.1 |
Producer name: Factory of:William CookworthyFactory of:Plymouth Porcelain Factory |
Production date: 1768-1770 |
Production place: Factory in:Plymouth (Devon)

figure

Museum number: 1908,0413.1 |
Producer name: Factory of:William CookworthyFactory of:Plymouth Porcelain Factory |
Production date: 1768-1770 |
Production place: Factory in:Plymouth (Devon)

figure

Museum number: 1945,1003.2 |
Producer name: Factory of:William CookworthyFactory of:Plymouth Porcelain Factory |
Production date: 1768-1770 |
Production place: Factory in:Plymouth (Devon)

jug

Museum number: 1905,0218.3 |
Producer name: Factory of:William CookworthyFactory of:Plymouth Porcelain Factory |
Production date: 1768-1770 |
Production place: Factory in:Plymouth (Devon)

mug

Museum number: 1887,0307,VII.8 |
Producer name: Factory of:William CookworthyFactory of:Plymouth Porcelain Factory |
Production date: 1768-1770 |
Production place: Factory in:Plymouth (Devon)

mug

Museum number: 1887,0307,VII.9 |
Producer name: Factory of:William CookworthyFactory of:Plymouth Porcelain Factory |
Production date: 1768 |
Production place: Factory in:Plymouth (Devon)

mug

Museum number: 1887,0307,VII.7 |
Producer name: Factory of:William CookworthyFactory of:Plymouth Porcelain Factory |
Production date: 1768-1770 |
Production place: Factory in:Plymouth (Devon)

mustard-pot

Museum number: 1890,0724.8 |
Producer name: Factory of:William CookworthyFactory of:Plymouth Porcelain Factory |
Production date: 1768-1770 |
Production place: Factory in:Plymouth (Devon)

notebook

Museum number: OA.6557 |
Production date: 19thC(late)

salt

Museum number: 1887,0307,VII.5 |
Producer name: Factory of:William CookworthyFactory of:Plymouth Porcelain Factory |
Production date: 1768-1770 |
Production place: Factory in:Plymouth (Devon)

sauce-boat

Museum number: 1942,1209.4 |
Producer name: Factory of:William CookworthyFactory of:Plymouth Porcelain Factory |
Production date: 1768-1770 |
Production place: Factory in:Plymouth (Devon)

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