Charles Bourne (1776-1836) had one of the smaller factories in Staffordshire, and only produced decorated porcelain for about fourteen years, from 1818 to c.1832. The scarcity and quality of Bourne porcelains have made them highly collectable.

As with many Staffordshire potteries, Bourne began business by producing inexpensive earthenwares. He probably made earthenwares for about 10 years before adding porcelains at a factory in Fenton (now part of Stoke-on-Trent) originally built by Josiah Spode for his second son Samuel who died in 1817.

Most of the known Charles Bourne porcelains are parts of tea services, but he also produced dessert wares and ornamental vases. One of his most popular lines was spill-vases (also called match-pots) that contained spills for lighting candles and were usually placed above the fire on the mantelpiece. There are also amusing animal models, and miniature or ‘toy’ pieces.

The bone china is generally of good quality and well potted, although basic shapes tend to derivative of other contemporary factories, especially Spode.  What sets Bourne porcelains apart is the high standard of decoration, especially the gilding.

Charles Bourne had a unique way of marking most of his wares, with the pattern number expressed in fractional form beneath his initials CB.

 

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