Q: I have a collection of James Kent Old Foley china in the Chinese Rose pattern. I’m trying to figure out how old the pieces are but I’m confused by the different marks. Can you tell me when these marks were used?
A: James Kent (Ltd.), Old Foley Pottery was established at Longton, Staffordshire, England in 1897 and was in business until c.1989. The name is now being used by another company in Fenton, Stoke-on-Trent. The clues we found indicate that “Ltd.” was added to the company name in the mark in 1913. The words “Old Foley Pottery” were used after 1955 (first mark). The first and third marks shown here were used after 1955. The second mark was probably used between 1913 and 1918. The third mark with the word “Ltd.” was probably used from 1950 to present. Chinese Rose pattern was made c.1897-1989.
