1854
Foundation of Doulton & Co.
1863
Henry Doulton joins the Board of the Lambeth School of Art
1877
Purchase of an interest in Pinder, Bourne & Co. of Nile St, Burslem
1882
Dissolution of the partnership with Henry Pinder
Henry Doulton's son, Henry Lewis Doulton, joins the partnership
1884
Bone china manufacture commences at Nile St, Burlsem
1889
Charles Noke joins Doulton from Royal Worcester as a modeller and ceramic technologist
1890
Approximately 350 modellers and designers employed on production of Lambeth stoneware
1893
Doulton products win acclaim at the Chicago World Fair
1897
Death of Sir Henry Doulton (November)
1899
Incorporation as a limited liability company Doulton & Co. Ltd.
1901
Grant of a Royal Warrant by King Edward VII
1904
Noke introduces the Doulton 'Flambe' glaze developed with Bernard Moore
1913
Release of the first bone china Doulton Figurines (HN1 'Darling')
1919
Lewis John Eric Hooper succeeds Henry Lewis Doulton as the Managing Director
1920
Release of the first Lesley Harradine figure HN395 'Contentment'
1925
Lewis Hooper succeeds Henry Lewis Doulton as Chairman
1934
Release of the first Character Jugs and Toby Jugs
1955
Orrok Sherwood Doulton succeeds Lewis Hooper as the Chairman after 30 years.
1956
Closure of the Lambeth stoneware factory. Lambeth remains the headquarters of the company
Company restructure (from 1st January) Doulton & Co. Ltd becomes a holding company with four subsidiaries. Tableware manufacture by Doulton Fine China Ltd
1968
Takeover of Mintons Ltd and Dunn Bennett & Co. Ltd
1969
Takeover of Webb Corbett Ltd and John Beswick Ltd
1971
Pearson Group acquire Doulton & Co. Ltd and merge Allied English Potteries into Doulton
1974
Lambeth Stoneware' introduced
1993
Pearson plc's tableware manufacturing interests floated on the London Stock Exchange as Royal Doulton plc (December)
1996
Royal Doulton acquire Holland Studio Craft and Caithness Glass.
1999
Waterford Wedgwood purchase 15% of Royal Doulton plc shares
2000
Sale of Royal Crown Derby Ltd (to a management group) and Caithness Glass (to Royal Worcester Spode)
2001
Holland Studio Craft closed (February) with the loss of 45 jobs.
Royal Doulton seek 570 voluntary redundancies from its West Midlands workforce as part of a review of the business (June).
2002
Shareholders vote for a rescue package including loss of 1,000 jobs, closure of Baddesley Green factory and increased production in Indonesia (March)
Announcement of closure of the Beswick factory in Gold St, Longton (September)
Baddesley Green and Beswick factories close at the end of December. 550 staff made redundant.
Waterford Wedgwood increase their shareholding to 21%
2003
Royal Albert production moved to Indonesia, 78 workers made redundant at Nile Street, Burslem. (February).
A further 200 workers at Nile Street to be made reduntant (November)
2004
Doulton announce the closure of its last remaining UK factory at Nile Street from mid-2005, with the loss of approximately 500 jobs.
2005
Waterford Wedgwood completes a £39.9 million takeover of Royal Doulton (February).
Nile Street closes on 15th April with 130 workers leaving the historic plant for the last time and production of the Royal Doulton, Minton and Royal Albert brands transferred to factories of the Waterford Wedgwood group.
