History of the Doulton®  Ceramics

The Royal Doulton china company in the UK, was founded in 1815 by John Doulton and his partner John Watts in Lambeth, Soulth London.  It was then famous for its production of fine-bone china, art pottery, ornamental and commemorative pieces and of course their renowned tableware used by the Royal Family and high society as a mark of status.

Sir Henry Doulton (1820 - 1897)

John Doulton's son, Sir Henry Doulton, joined the company in 1835 and with it brought the entrepreneurial energy and vision that turned it into Britain's leading manufacturer of sanitary wares and other industrial ceramics. One of his innovations was the introduction of steam-powered potters' wheels that put Doultons ahead of the competition. He was knighted in particular for innovation in sanitary and new glazed sewage systems that were instrumental in reducing the spread of fatal diseases such as dysentery, cholera and the like, particularly in dense urban areas. Much of the original sanitary infrastructure was made by Doultons. A stark contrast to the fine-bone porcelain for which it is more commonly known!

In 1837, Queen Victoria commissioned Doulton to develop a water filter for the Royal household after recognizing the present health dangers in her drinking water.  Doulton created a gravity fed stoneware filter that combined the technology of a ceramic filter with the artistry of a hand crafted pottery water container. Queen Victoria then honored Doulton with the right to display the Royal Crest on each filter.

In 1962, Henry introduced the DoultonManganous Carbon water filter, the same year that Louis Pasteur's experiments with bacteria conclusively exploded the myth of spontaneous generation and proved that all microorganisms arise from other microorganisms. This more advanced understanding of bacteria making it possible to direct research and development efforts to the creation of a porous ceramic capable of filtering out these tiny organisms.

In 1877, Sir Henry Doulton took over the Nile Street Burslem factory of Pinder Bourne.  Here they produced industrial ceramics for water filtration along with art pottery and table wares.  Then, by 1882, they were producing fine-bone china.

By 1901, King Edward VII knighted Henry Doulton and honored the company by authorizing it to use
the word ROYAL in reference to its products.  In 1906, Doulton introduced a filter that proved to be equal to the one Louis Pasteur had developed in France. It was rapidly adopted by hospitals, laboratories and for use in domestic water filtration throughout the world.  The popularity and effectiveness of even the early 20th century designs has resulted in their continued use in Africa and the Middle East.  The range and efficiency of Doulton domestic water filters has been widely extended over the years to meet the demands of increasingly sophisticated uses. 

References:

Special thanks to Daniel Doulton® (http://www.doulton.org--a direct descendant of Sir Henry Doulton®) who gave me permission to publish information about the Doulton® family and their contribution to society with the innovation of sanitary wares and ceramic water filters.  This eventually evolved into the production of the Sterasyl ceramic bacteria filter.

Ceramic Filters Company, Brooklyn, Michigan