Royal Brierley crystal
Ships Decanter, a
typical cut crystal
Royal Brierley design
above: logo used by
Stevens & Williams
above: decanter 1930s
designer Keith Murray
for Stevens & Williams
above: logo used by
Stevens & Williams for
Royal Brierley Crystal
Royal Brierley Glass: A short explanation
Royal Brierley was a name used by Stevens & Williams Ltd. a glass company in Brierley Hill, near Stourbridge in the English Midlands. A strong case can be made that they have existed for over 360 years if we accept that there have been changes of ownership and moving to nearby premises (never very far). The name Stevens and Williams Limited was established in 1847 and was used at least until the end of 1967, when it was abandoned. Royal Brierley Crystal was used for some of the company's glass from 1919 onwards, the date when George 5th awarded them a Royal Warrant. It became the company's name in 1968. A very brief potted history can be found below.
Stevens and Williams' Royal Brierley Glass:
The glassworks which became Royal Brierley glass was making cut flint (crystal) glass and plain crystal for supply to specialist glass cutters as early as 1804 and probably from the 1770s. They also made coloured window glass for stained glass windows. In the 1880s they were producing high quality cut crystal glass which was termed "Rock Crystal" (as did other firms in the area).
Innovations in coloured glass became popular in the 1870s, and in the Stourbridge area cameo work became a speciality, led by John Northwood who undertook commissions for several glassworks including Stevens and Williams. In 1880 Frederick Carder, then aged 17, joined Stevens and Williams in their design section. John Northwood became "artist manager" in 1882 and the company produced several innovative and beautiful types of coloured glass, as well as their traditional cut and engraved crystal.
John Northwood's eldest son, Harry Northwood, left England in 1881 to work in the glass industry in America, and eventually to found his successful glass companies there. John Northwood continued to work for Stevens and Williams until he died in 1902, and a year later Frederick Carder left for America and subsequent fame. John Northwood II continued the innovative successes at Stevens and Williams, with Joshua Hodgetts as master craftsman.
The early 20th century was a time of change in the glass industry. There was a demand for attractive mass-produced glass, foreign imports competed strongly with local glassworks, and the design tastes of the art deco era were quite different from traditional Victorian art glass. Again Stevens and Williams led the way in design, by appointing the New Zealand architect Keith Murray in 1932 to produce some very modern designs, like the decanter shown on the left. Keith Murray's designs were given extensive promotion via advertising and displays; this decanter was shown in a whole page advertisement (September 1932) under the heading "MODERN ENGLISH GLASS Designed by Keith Murray and executed at STEVENS & WILLIAMS LTD at BRIERLEY HILL STAFFS". Throughout its history, from the earliest records until the present day, the company made traditional cut crystal glass of the highest quality alongside their other designs.
Earlier History:
Jeremiah Bague's Glassworks was operating in Brettell Lane, Audnam (just South of Brierley Hill) in the 1640s and probably earlier (see Jason Ellis "Glassmakers of Stourbridge" p. 108). It was passed on within the Bague family but in 1698 Jeremiah Bague II was declared bankrupt (largely as a result of the crippling emergency tax on glass introduced in 1695) and shortly afterwards Thomas Hamond took over along with Jeremiah Bague III. When Thomas Hamond died in 1743 he left Bague's Glassworks to his son in law, Robert Honeyborne, and his granddaughter Mary Honeyborne. Because the glassworks was getting very old and was built on leased land, Robert and Mary decided to build a new glassworks at Moor Lane, Brierley Hill. The old Bague's Glassworks became a pottery and by the 1760s the Honeybornes were manufacturing glass at Moor Lane, the glassworks which eventually became Stevens and Williams. The company dates its origins to 1776.
The Honeyborne family continued to operate the Moor Lane glassworks until 1824 when it was leased to Joseph Silvers and Joseph Stevens (brothers-in-law). It was then passed on in the Silvers/Stevens family to Samual Cox Williams and William Stevens (son of Joseph Stevens) both of whom were married to daughers of Joseph Silvers. They formed Stevens and Williams Ltd. in 1847 and in 1870 built a new glassworks at North Street, Brierley Hill very close to the Moor Lane glassworks (which was demolished shortly afterwards). This glassworks continued to be run by descendants of Joseph Silvers until 1999, when it was sold to Epsom Enterprises but went into receivership in 2000. In 2002 Royal Brierley Crystal Ltd. started up again in new premises in Tipton Road, Dudley, employing just a handful of skilled glassworkers and making very high quality studio glass. The little irridized pot shown below on the left is an example of their work. A few years later this company was taken over by Dartington Glass and production moved to their glassworks in Torringron, Devonshire. Dartington Glass still produce cut and engraved crystal and market it under the Royal Brierley brand.
Note that there is another company called Brierley Hill Crystal which was founded in 1913 in the Brierley Hill district of Stourbridge, is still a private family owned business, and produces full lead crystal cut and engraved glassware.
Summarizing the history of Royal Brierley/Stevens and Williams, there were four discontinuities in ownership, in 1702 when the Hamonds/Honeybornes took over from the Bagues, in 1824 when the Silvers/Stevens/Williams family took over from the Honeybornes, in 2002 when Tim Westbrook took over, and around 2006 when Dartington took over. And there were four changes of location, in the 1770s, again in 1870, in 2002 and c. 2006.
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Stevens and Williams glass can also be found on ebay, - click here for Stevens and Williams glass
