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Tiles from the Mintons

There were seven company names making Minton tiles in the nineteenth century… 
 

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Mintons hearth tiles.

 

Eight Inch Tiles
 

There were seven company names making Minton tiles in the nineteenth century:

Minton & Co. c.1828 - 1868 commercial production from circa 1835.

Tile making was managed by partner Michael Daintry Hollins from 1840 when the brand name, Minton, Hollins, & Co. was adopted. Michael Hollins is recorded as working in the factory from 1838. [5]

From 1840 [2] Minton & Co. on tiles was a trading name of Minton, Hollins & Co. used for the London House (showroom and offices). Minton, Hollins & Co., and Minton & Co. brands were used on tiles contemporaneously, catalogues, letterheads and advertising all show both Minton & Co. alongside Minton, Hollins & Co. throughout the nineteenth century and at least as late as 1912. Floor and enamelled majolica wall tiles post 1868 may bear the legend Minton & Co. or Minton, Hollins & Co., groups of tiles from installations marked with both Minton & Co. and Minton, Hollins & Co. are quite common. 

Wall tiles, printed, painted, lead glazed majolica etc., bear Minton, Hollins & Co. at least from the 1850s, the address 'Patent Tile Works' was used from c.1869. Use of the Minton & Co. brand on tiles appears to phase out from the late 1850s presumably simply as new equipment was purchased with Minton, Hollins & Co. brand name and equipment with Minton & Co. moulds wore out.

Michael Hollins became a partner in Minton & Co. in 1840 and Colin Campbell in 1849, whilst Hollins managed the tile business Campbell worked in the china business under Herbert Minton and had little to do with the tile business. Upon the death of Herbert Minton in 1858 Michael Hollins became the senior partner and Colin Campbell the junior partner, Arnoux managed the china business under Hollins whilst Campbell was responsible for marketing. When the partnership was dissolved in 1868 the company split in to Minton, Hollins & Co. the tile company and the remaining china and pottery company which apparently continued trading as Minton & Co. until 1873 when it became known as Mintons.

Campbell started making tiles at the China Works against the spirit of his agreement with Hollins and sold them under the name Minton & Co. which Hollins had been using since 1840. Hollins sued, the court found in favour of Hollins in respect of the name, that Minton, Hollins, & Co. and Minton & Co. both had the right to use the name Minton & Co. for their speciality products, i.e. tiles in the case of Minton, Hollins & Co., and china and pottery in the case of Minton & Co., (later simply 'Mintons' and then Mintons Limited). Campbell was specifically prohibited from using the words Minton and Tiles in conjunction.

For all intents and purposes Minton & Co. on tiles means Minton, Hollins & Co. the exceptions being limited to the relatively few tiles produced before 1840 and a few made by Campbell prior to the court judgement. Mintons China Works as it is widely known (actually Mintons or Mintons Limited) is not Minton & Co. on tiles, although this connection is commonly made not least in the literature (mostly written by pottery people) and by museums it is wrong.

Minton, Hollins & Co. 1840 - 1968 (1840 - 1868 as a division of Minton & Co.) bought by Johnsons in 1968 who still use the name. The most famed and prolific manufacturer for most of the Victorian era its tiles were used in The Palace of Westminster (i.e. The Houses of Parliament), US Capitol, Victoria & Albert Museum and many other prestigious buildings.

Mintons 1873 - c.1883, Mintons Limited c.1883 - 1918 (these dates for tiles, china and pottery for longer) this is the china behemoth substantively owned by Campbell until his death in 1885. Apparently used the branding Mintons China Works on tiles however Mintons is the branding, 'China Works' is the address just as 'Patent Tile Works' is the address for Minton, Hollins, & Co.. [6]

Robert Minton Taylor 1869 - 1874. Temporarily traded as R. Minton Taylor until prohibited by the court in 1871. Associated with Campbell to form Minton Brick & Tile Co. another name prohibited by the court.

Minton's Art Pottery Studio, Kensington Gore 1871 - 1875, owned by Campbell, produced good and indifferent art pottery and hand decorated tiles. It was losing money and when destroyed by fire in 1875 was not rebuilt. Studio products manufacturing was relocated to the China Works site in Stoke upon Trent.

Minton Brick & Tile Co. 1874 - 1875 temporarily used by an association of Robert Minton Taylor and Colin Minton Campbell (both nephews of Herbert Minton) before its use was quashed by the court,. Renamed Campbell Brick & Tile Co.

Campbell Brick & Tile Co. 1875 - 1963, part owned by Campbell, initially managed by Robert Minton Taylor [4]. 'Brick &' was soon dropped and the company became The Campbell Tile Co. Made some of the technically more difficult tiles for Mintons Ltd., most if not all brown/buff clay Mintons' tiles appear to be by Campbell, ordinary Mintons patterns are occasionally found on Campbell's blanks.

See also: More about the Minton Companies

 

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