Records of the kinds of china manufactured and sent to London are interesting. There were blue fluted boats, mosaic boats, sage-leaf boats, fig-leaf sauce-boats, octagon fruit plates, vine-leaf plates, coffee cups, flower vases, blue strawberry pots, standing sheep, cats, honeycomb jars, coffee-pots, butter-tubs, Chelsea jars, teapots, figures of Mars, Minerva, &c., Spanish shepherds, candlesticks, and, of course, many varieties of plates and dishes, and cups and saucers.
Once or twice the name of the firm appears as “Duesbury and Co.,” but it is more usually “Duesbury and Heath.” Finally, it became Duesbury only.
1750.
Earliest Mark
(In gold).
Under Royal Patronage.
1773.
Marked in blue.
1782-1830.
Early—marked in puce.
Later—blue, red, green, & black.
OLD DERBY MARKS.
Coming to the marks which were used, in our illustration we have arranged them in chronological order, the earliest being at the top.
The mark used in the earliest days is not certain, but in all probability the letter D, when in gold, is one of the first used. It is, however, exceedingly rare to find a piece thus marked. This letter D may equally stand for Derby or for Duesbury.