Aynsley China Ltd. was a British manufacturer of

bone china Bone china is a type of vitreous, translucent pottery, the raw materials for which include bone ash, feldspathic material and kaolin. It has been defined as "ware with a translucent body" containing a minimum of 30% of phosphate derived from c ...

tableware, giftware and commemorative items.

History

The company was founded in 1775 by John Aynsley in Lane End,

Longton, Staffordshire Longton is one of the six towns which Federation of Stoke-on-Trent, amalgamated to form the county borough of Stoke-on-Trent in 1910, along with Hanley, Staffordshire, Hanley, Tunstall, Staffordshire, Tunstall, Fenton, Staffordshire, Fenton, Bu ...

. In 1861 his grandson John Aynsley built the historic Portland Works on Sutherland Road,

. The company's profitability made it a desirable acquisition. In June 1970 Spode put in a bid, this was then topped in July by Denbyware. Discussions then followed with Waterford Glass and a £1 million bid was agreed. In 1970 John Aynsley and Sons was taken over by Waterford and renamed Aynsley China Ltd. In 1987 Waterford sold the company in order to focus the group's fine china sales on the worldwide Wedgwood brand.''Strategic Management Cases'', p625 In May 1997, Aynsley China was acquired by The Belleek Pottery Group in Ireland. The company closed its

Stoke-on-Trent Stoke-on-Trent (often abbreviated to Stoke) is a city and Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area in Staffordshire, England. It has an estimated population of 259,965 as of 2022, making it the largest settlement in Staffordshire ...

factory in September 2014. As of July 2015 the factory shop is still open but its future is uncertain as the site is being advertised as for sale.

Products

The company was a favoured supplier of the British royal family. Both

Queen Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 19268 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. ...

and

Diana, Princess of Wales Diana, Princess of Wales (born Diana Frances Spencer; 1 July 1961 – 31 August 1997), was a member of the British royal family. She was the first wife of Charles III (then Prince of Wales) and mother of Princes William, ...

, chose Aynsley china as wedding presents from the British china industry.''Invitation to a Royal Wedding'', p59 Aynsley's market has historically been within the United Kingdom.

References

Bibliography

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External links

Belleek webpage for Aynsley
* http://www.thepotteries.org/allpotters/29b.htm * http://www.luxurydining.co.uk/aynsley-222-c.asp {{Stoke-on-Trent Staffordshire pottery Companies based in Stoke-on-Trent Ceramics manufacturers of England British companies established in 1775 1775 establishments in England