Match Striker Gallery          

Company History

The firm was begun as Grimwade Brothers in 1885 by Leonard Lumsden Grimwade in Stoke on Trent, England. It then became Grimwades Ltd in 1900 when Leonards brother Sydney Richard joined the firm and they acquired the Winton Porcelain factory. Leonard developed two processes essential to the firms prosperity. First duplex lithographic transfer which enabled them to increase the speed and efficiency of china production. Second the Climax Kiln where the kiln ran continuously and china was moved in and out on wheeled carts (as opposed to traditional kilns which had to be stacked, heated, cooled and finally unloaded.

The firm is most commonly known for their Chintz designs marketed under the Royal Winton name, the first of which, the Marguerite pattern was introduced in 1928, and two years later the firm officially changed it's name Royal Winton.

The firm was bought by Henry Potter Ltd in the early sixties and all the old Chintz designs discontinued. The firm then changed hands again in 1995 when Spencer Hammer and Associates arranged a takeover, and returned to the old Grimwades Limited name (although they continued to use the Royal Winton name, and reintroduced a number of Chintz designs)

Marks

The mark shown here probably dates from some time in the 1930s (unfortunately due to the iridescence of the glaze I can't get a better picture)