Worcester porcelain is the oldest, continuously operating English porcelain factory still in production. They played a major role in the development of English porcelain tradition, going thru several name changes & taking over other area manufacturers. They are now known as Royal Worcester Porcelain Co. They began in 1751 as Worcester Tonquin Manufacture. Tonquin coming from the use of Chinese motifs,shapes and names. John Wall was one of the founding shareholders and is credited with discovering the "secret art, mystery, and process of porcelain making" in the 16th century.

Hard paste porcelain is made of 2 ingredients-kaolin(clay) and petuntse(decomposed granite). European countries were unable to unlock the secret to the formula so they made their first porcelains substituting different materials. (kaolin with soapstone). The soapstone made the porcelain withstand heat of boiling water, making tea services in demand.

When Wall & partner Davis died, the company was sold to Thomas Flight, who then changed names to Royal Worcester: Flight & Barr: Barr, Flight & Barr: Flight & Barr: Flight, Barr & Barr: Chamberlain & Co:Kerr & Binns: & finally Worcester Royal Porcelain Co (Royal Worcester). Along with all the name changes came different marks including a "W", a blue crescent, a fretted square, an anchor, imitation Chinese numbers, and a crown.

Tips on building a collection:

• Seek out reference books that detail the numerous names and marks.
• Focus you search on a specific period of Worcester porcelain. First period refers to those made until 1783 when Thomas Flight purchased the Co. Regency refers to those made when  multiple name changes thrived, and Royal Worcester refers to about 1862 on.
• Beware of imitations. The oldest Worcester was soft-paste. If a piece claims to be early, but is hard-paste porcelain or bone china, it's a fake.
• Examine the motifs. Parts of the decoration on some pieces were painted much later than the original. Black spots or a black foot rim usually indicates a piece has been refired.

Worcester Porcelain comes in many different wares and motifs. It is always fun to collect something you enjoy. I hope this has helped you with your pieces.