The year 1815 was a momentous one for Britain: the Duke of Wellington led his troops to victory at the Battle of Waterloo, Lord Byron published She Walks in Beauty, and one of the country’s most eminent potteries, Royal Doulton, was fired into existence.
Today, Royal Doulton is one of the most recognisable and quintessentially British brands – its name uttered in the same breath as Wedgwood, Spode, Mintons and Royal Crown Derby. However, its nascent days were a far cry from such heady company.
John Doulton, the man who lends his name to the venerable company, might never have been associated with the operation had it not been for one lesser-known Martha Jones, owner of a humble pottery on the banks of the River Thames.
In her widowhood, Jones…