“1. Windsor—gules a saltire ar. between twelve cross crosslets, or. 2. Blount—barry nebulæ of six, or and sable. 3. Eckingham—azure, fretty, argent. 4. Beauchamp of Hatch, co. of Somerset—vairy, argent and azure; Crest; a buck’s head gardent, couped at the neck, ar.
“The arms have supporters, and underneath them is this motto or inscription—‘Stemmata quid faciunt?’
“The late Earl of Plymouth, when inspecting the process of the porcelain works a few years back, with his sister, the late Marchioness of Downshire, and his father-in-law, Earl Amhurst, recognised these memorials of his ancestors, and viewed them for some time with much interest.
“In 1533, reign of Henry VIII., this Sir William Windsor, second Lord Windsor, was made one of the Knights of the Bath, against the coronation of Anne Boleyn, which was performed with great solemnity at Westminster. And at the decease of the king, he was one of the twelve peers, chief mourners, who, on August 8th, 1553, attended the funeral. His lordship was buried at Bredenham, in Buckinghamshire (where the family then had estates), very splendidly, according to his quality, says Strype.
“After a lapse of ages, the family of the Plowdens occupied the mansion for some time; and ultimately this ancient edifice, about eighty-six years since, was devoted to its present purposes, and now exhibits an animating scene of art and industry, rivalling most successfully some of the finest productions of the Royal Porcelain Works of the Continent.
“A few of the old rooms are preserved in their original state, and have been much admired by some learned antiquaries, and others who delight in viewing the relics of past ages. The house forms a sort of quadrangle, with a court in the centre, and was formerly the residence of the ‘Warmstreys,’ several of whom were connected, as registrars and others, with the Cathedral Church of Worcester. The library of the house is a lofty and spacious room, wainscoted with oak, carved in various parts with different devices, and the arms of the family of ‘Warmstrey,’ viz., a cross molyn between crescents and decrescents, and impaled and quartered with the arms of other families. The fire-place is of very ample dimensions, with handsome pillars on each side, and the chimney-piece is decorated with a scroll extremely well cut. Surmounting it, the royal arms of England appear most curiously carved; and around the room may still be seen the antique book-shelves, edged with a scolloped border of green cloth, remaining quite firm in its texture. Adjoining the library, is a small study, fitted up with book-shelves in the same style.”
The family was one of considerable note, and monuments to Mrs. Cecil Warmstrey, widow of the registrar of the diocese, 1649; to the said registrar; and to Dr. Thomas Warmstrey, dean of Worcester, their son, 1661, who was a famous divine, and was one of the persons appointed by the city to treat as to terms of its surrender to the army of the parliament in 1646—are to be seen in the cathedral. The building still remains, and is now occupied by Messrs. Dent and Co. for the manufacture of gloves. The old part of the building has been entirely denuded of its ornament, and stripped of every vestige of its former grandeur; the gardens have been covered with engine-houses, scouring and dyeing rooms, and other buildings necessary to the works now carried on, and which find employment for many hundreds of people.
Warmstrey House was sold in 1707 by its then owners, the Rev. Chewning Blackmore and Abigail his wife, for the sum of £340, to William Evett, glover. On the 16th of May, 1751, the premises were leased by William Evett, glover, to Richard Holdship the younger, glover, for the term of twenty-one years, with right of renewal for a further term of twenty-one years on payment of a fine of £20, the annual rent being £30.
This Richard Holdship was one of the partners in the porcelain company, and it was, it appears, for the purposes of this company that he became lessee of the premises. The company at this time, on its first formation, appears to have consisted of Dr. John Wall, Mr. Richard Holdship, the Rev. Benjamin Blayney, and Mr. Samuel Bradley, a goldsmith, who kept the house in High Street for retailing the ware. To these were subsequently added the others named above. In 1772–4 the partners were Dr. Wall, the two William Davises, father and son, Rev. T. Vernon, Robert Hancock the engraver, and Richard Cook of London. In 1774 Hancock left the concern, and from 1776 to 1783 the two Davises and Vernon were the only proprietors.
The company at first turned its attention principally to the production of imitations of the Chinese porcelain, both in form and colour. Thus the blue and white patterns—then so general in Chinese porcelain, and the characteristic of the Nankin ware—were for a time, it appears, exclusively followed at Worcester. Some of the brilliant colours of the Japanese ceramists were, however, soon attempted, and with complete success; and by the conventional arrangement of these colours in new patterns the Worcester potters were gradually led on to more elaborate productions.