Cooper Hewitt says...
Pilkington’s Tile & Pottery Co. shared Forsyth’s commitment to making high-quality ceramics. The company was established in 1893 after a surprise discovery of red marl clay on the Pilkington family’s land. Initially, the family wanted to use the clay for the creation of bricks. However, after consulting William Burton, a chemist who worked for Josiah Wedgewood and Sons, the family decided to use the clay to make pottery and tiles. Burton started working for Pilkington’s soon after their founding, and he led the company according to the ideals of William Morris. The company’s wares soon proved very popular with the public, and Pilkington’s exhibited at several international exhibitions, including the Exposition Universelle in 1900 in Paris, and the 1910 World’s Fair in Turin. In 1913, Pilkington’s ceramics so charmed King George and Queen Mary that the company received a royal warrant for their excellence in ceramics.
