The History of Spode Fine China

In the early 1760's, Josiah Spode, who as a six-year old child watched his father being buried in a pauper's grave, apprenticed and then opened his own small pottery. From such grim beginnings, he went on to accomplish amazing contributions to the field of pottery. For the next 30 years he pioneered a tradition of excellence that continues to this very day, and still bears his own name!

In 1784, Josiah Spode perfected the process of blue under glaze printing on earthenware, which, as the history books record, was not only enough to ensure his reputation for posterity, but was the essential catalyst for the phenomenal development of English tableware that was to follow.

He then went on to make the single most important discovery in the history of his industry - the formula for Fine Bone China - which was to make the name, Spode, famous throughout the world.