Royal Crown Derby

The Royal Crown Derby porcelain company has recently become a corporate member of the Arkwright Society. It is fascinating to think that the company’s history stretches back even further than the Mill, right back to the middle of the eighteenth century. The first china was produced in Derby around 1748 near St Mary’s Bridge.

By the time Arkwright’s cotton mill was up and running in 1771 the china works was a well established business run by William Duesbury I. Duesbury was a shrewd businessman himself, purchasing the Chelsea works in London in 1770 and running it for a number of years before moving all production to Derby.

It seems obvious that Duesbury would be familiar with the industrialists around Derby at this time, but the known links between them are few. One reason may be that the china works was on quite a small scale when compared to the textile mills springing up along the Derwent.

The most interesting link can be found on the china itself. Crown Derby produced many items painted with local views. Several pieces can be found decorated with views of the mills. Derby Museum and Art Gallery has a plate painted with a view of Cromford Mill. The plate, illustrated, is inscribed on the back ‘View of Sr Rd. Arkwrights Cotton works / at Cromford’.

Over 200 years later, Royal Crown Derby is delighted to be able to support the work of the society.

Image courtesy of Derby Museum and Art Gallery