Royal Doulton Dickens Ware "A"

The Dickens Ware "A" series was designed by C.J. Noke with the assistance of William Grace, Walter Nunn, Leonard Langley and Harry Tittensor. The Charles Noke designed scenes often bear a facsimile of his signature which can cause them to sell for a premium. 

Dating Dickens Ware

Often the date is impressed into the base, this is especially so for items where the base is a large flat expanse.  These are the techniques I employ to determine the production era when an item is not dated.

In the absence of an impressed date code the pattern number is a useful indication to the production era. There are 8 pattern numbers assigned to Dickens Ware:-

D.2973 was introduced in  1908

D.3020 “                         ” 1908
D.4030 “                         ” 1918
                  D.4069 “                         ” 1918                  
D.5175 “                         ” 1931
D.5862 “                         ” 1937
D.6327 “                         ” 1951

If the item does not have a pattern number there is no need to disappear as the production era can be ascertained by the variation in the colour-way and minor variations in the actual Dickens Ware maker's mark. Most examples of this series are marked with the special Dickens Ware back stamp; the only time this mark is missing is when the item base is to small to fit the mark. Shown below are three examples of this mark, the first mark is taken from a bulb bowl with the number D.2973 (dates from 1908).

The final mark (shown below) comes off a Mug with the pattern number D.6327. It also varies slightly from the other marks. This pattern number was introduced in 1951.

The colour-way is a useful tool for determining an items production era. I have identified 3 distinct colour-ways. The first colour-way, which was in use during the 1908 to circa 1931 period, the second was in use from circa 1931 to 1951 and the third was in use from 1951 until the end of production which was in the late 1950’s. I have decided to list the 31 different characters that Doulton depicted by the novel in which they appear. My aim is to have as many of the colourways as posible.

The centenary of Charles Dickens birth was in 1912. In celebration of this occasion Royal Doulton, published the booklet “A Tribute In Pottery To The Genius Of Charles Dickens". This booklet covers 22 of the 31 characters that where depicted by Royal Doulton in the Dickens Ware series. I have included 22 quotes from this booklet.  For me they are an insight into the times and the thoughts of the people who conceived Dickens Ware.

Pickwick Papers

Charles Dickens wrote his first novel when he was in his mid twenties. “The Pickwick Papers” was first published in a serial format, between April 1836 and November 1837, as “The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club”.  The novel is a lose collection of stories of various characters based around the Pickwick club. The eight characters depicted are:-

Mr Pickwick

  "Pickwick the immortal, the ever-young - and this despite his bald head and spectacles: despite his amplitude of waistcoat, his shorts and gaiters. Brimful of good nature is Mr Pickwick: a little stubborn at times, aye, intensely stubborm; yet with a romatic heart and a disposition positively overflowing with the milk of human kindness."

1908 to 1931 era colour-way

1931 to 1951 era colour-way

1951 to late 1950's era colour-way

Tony Weller

  "Weller the elder, the typical coachman of a century agone. Stern mistruster of 'vidders'; staunch believer in the virtue and power of a 'haliby'; ruminative philosopher and Nemesis to the rum-soaked Stiggins."

1908 to 1931 era colour-way

1931 to 1951 era colour-way

1951 to late 50's era colour-way

Sam Weller

 "Sam Weller, faithfullest of retainers. Full of quaint wisdom and epigran of Cockaigne. Calm amid the wildest tumult; undismayed facing the most extravagant odds; imperturbable when patronised by the most dignified of gentleman's gentleman."

1908 to 1931 era colour-way

1931 to 1951 era colour-way

1951 to late 1959's era colour-way

Fat Boy

 "The Fat Boy still slumbers, despite the loudly renewed calls of Jolly Old Wardle: slumbers placidly and stolidly and in any position. The magic call of eatables or drinkables alone dispels the spirit of somnolency from his rotund form."

1908 to 1931 era colour-way

1931 to 1951 era colour-way

Alfred Jingle

 "Alfred Jingle, Esquire, the seedy, the impudent, the unabashed: the philosophic citzen of the world, who is all things to all men and ever-ready, even over-ready, to help himself." 

1908 to 1931 era colour-way

1931 to 1951 era colour-way  

Serjeant Buzfuz

 "Sergeant Buzfuz, the forensic bully, cozening or brow-beating intelligent juries as occasion serves: the legalised champion of broken-hearted widows: adored of solicitors, and constant recipient of highly-marked breifs."

1908 to 1931 era colour-way  

Mrs Bardel

 "Mra. Bardell, classic among widows, with semi-bashful thoughts of re-marriage and a rise in the social scale, but with no premonition of 'The Fleet.'" 

1908 to 1931 era colour-way 

1908 to 1931 era colour-way

I have included the above picture as it is a scarce veriation of the scene, normally Mrs Bardell appears in a courtroom

Mr Dodson

1908 to 1931 era colour-way

 Martin Chuzzleewit

The Dickens novel Martin Chuzzleewith was first published as a serial during 1833 and 1834, it was originally called “The Life and Adventures of Martin Chuzzleewit.”

Mark Tapley

 "Mark Tapley, eccentric philosopher and matter-of-fact genius, sturdily bearing with him, even in his new-world wanderings, the scent of the English hedgerow and the breath of the Blue Dragon. Likewise a fixed determination to be jolly in any and every circumstance, or die."

There are two versions of Mark Tapley, in one he is holding his cane in his hand in the other it is under his arm.

1908 to 1931 era colour-way

Scene from tray date coded December 1937

1931 to 1952 era colour-way

This is the second version of Mark Tapley, it is the scarcer of the two versions. 

1908 to 1931 era colour-way

Pecksniff

 Pecksniff, architect and hypocorite, with his santly manner and his sordid soul: with his treble-sized moral halo, and his unbounded relish for grovelling before the golden calf."

Tom Pinch

1908 to 1931 era colour-way

 1931 to 1951 era colour-way  

Sairey Gamp

 "Mrs Gamp, nurse and midwife: Sairey of the moist eye turned upwards in moments of emotion: with her stern partialities regarding diet and her stringent rules concerning drink: with her tender solicitude for patients 'en posse',  and her spiritual communings with the invisible 'Mrs Harris.'"

1908 to 1931 era colour-way

1931 to 1951 era colour-way 

 David Copperfield

Was published in 1850, it is Dickens first novel to be written in the first person and was written from the point of view of David Copperfield. This novel is autobiographical and was supposed to have been Dickens favorite work. 

Uriah Heep

 "Uriah Heep, red-hearted 'Ury': distilling the gospel of 'umbleness' at every pore, and fawning on hands that later shall feel his teeth."

 1908 to 1931 era colour-way

Barkis

  "Barkis, the carrier, stolid of feature as of mind: Barkis, the slow and sure, and 'a it near,' who achieved immortality by simpy announcing the fact of his being "willin'."

1908 to 1931 era colour-way

1931 to 1951 era colour-way 

Old Peggotty

 "Dan'l Peggotty, the sturdy Yarmouth boatman; prematurely aged and broken-hearted by the dishonour and flight of Little Em'ly, yet with a fine, simple faith in her ultimate recovery and redemption."

1908 to 1931 era colour-way 

1931 to 1951 era colour-way  

Mr Micawber

 "Micawber, the ever hopeful, the ever-confident, the ever-expectant of something in the turning-up line; with his portentous gentility and his infinite capacity for writing letters."

1908 to 1931 era colour-way

1931 to 1951 era colour-way

1951 to late 1950's

Oliver Twist

Oliver Twist was published serially between 1837 and 1838. This is the most famous of Dickens novels; there have been countless films, plays and musicals made from this story.

Artful Dogger

 "Master John Dawkins, the Artful Dodger: prince of prigs and downiest of pick-pockets, with his snub-nose, his dirty face, and his loftily expressed contempt for 'beaks' and others set in authority over him."

1908 to 1931 era colour-way 

1931 to 1951 era colour-way  

 date coded July 1937

Fagin

 "Fagin, the sordid, the vile. The trainer of youthful thieves, the crafty receiver of stolen property: behind whom hovers the black shadow of the gallows."

 1908 to 1931 era colour-way

1931 to 1951 era colour-way 

Bill Sykes 

 "Bill Sikes, robber and housebreaker - he who has given a name to the burglar for all time. Fuffian and murderer, deviod of any one redeeming quality, yet loved by --- a woman, and a dog!"

1908 to 1931 era colour-way

Nicholas Nickleby

Nocholas Nickleby was written by Dickens around July 1938 and was first published in a serial format during 1938 and 1939. 

Mr Squeers

 "Squeers, the illiterate schoolmaster: the brutal, bulling, ruffianly Squeers, with his solitary eye, his villainous expression, and  his 'fatherly' love for his unfortunate pupils at Dotheboys Hall, Yorkshire."

1908 to 1931 era colour-way 

1931 to 1951 era colour-way 

Newman Noggs

Mr Mantalini

plate date coded November 1916

1908 to 1931 era colour-way 

Dombey and Son

Dombey and Son was first published serially between October 1846 & April 1848, it was originally called “Dealings with the Firm Dombey & Sons”.

Mr Toots

Cap'n Cuttle

 "Cap'n. Cuttle, mariner, simple of mind and rubicund of face, with a religous dread of terrible Mrs. MacStinger, and a profound veneration for the learning and genius of one, Sol. Gills. 'When found, make a note of.'"

1908 to 1951 era colour-way 

1931 to 1951 era colour-way   

Bleak House

Bleak House was Dickens ninth novel; it was published in 20 monthly installments between March 1852 and September 1853.

Poor Jo

 "Poor Jo, the crossing sweeper, for ever moving on: sad victim of a social misarrangement which carefully tends the gentle hearthen abroad beneath a tropic sky, and coldly leaves a nursling of its own to squalid degradation and hopeless misery."

1908 to 1931 era colour-way  

1931 to 1951 era colour-way

The Old Curiosity Shop was published serially during 1840 and 1841.

Dick Swiveller

 "Dick Swiveller, thrice glorious Dick: with his financial troubles, his amatory weaknesses, and his inability to refrain from looking upon the wine when it is red - or rosy - within the cup."

1908 to 1931 era colour-way  

The Chimes

The Chimes is a short novel first published 1844. It is the second of the five Christmas books that Dickens penned, it came out a year after “A Christmas Carol”.