Belleek China Marks

In a previous series on China marks we discussed the fact that due to lengthy histories, upheavals or simply the evolution of a company over a century or more, the marks used by the company changed, evolved or grew as the company grew.
A perfect example of this is the Belleek company and its many marks.

Makers of fine porcelain, Belleek had its origins in Ireland in 1857 and continues in business to this day.
In early 1849,  John Caldwell Bloomfield inherited the Castlecaldwell estate, from his father. This estate took in the village of Belleek, and with many of the tenants hungry in the years post the potato famin, Bloomfield sought out a way to give them gainful employment and monetary compensation.

He was an amateur mineralogist, and as such, he decided to order a geo survey of the lands around him, which to his delight offered up the raw materials that it took to make pottery, including  feldspar, kaolin, flint, clay and shale.
 

The village of Belleek,was a wonderful selection to locate the new business since they could also use the power of the river there, to drive a mill wheel to grind their components.

 Bloomfiled took on partners, including  Robert Armstrong who was an architect from London, and David Mc Birney, a Dublin merchant who was quite wealthy. He then nearly singlehandedly pulled the strings that brought the railroad into Belleek.

Next he pulled strings, lobbied and practically paved the way single handedly for the Rail Service to come to Belleek. By rail, coal could be brought in to fire thekilns and the finished Belleek product could be sent to market with ease.
 
 
Although there was labor aplenty where he was, he also knew that the success of the enterprise would depend on skill and experience, with his own people providing the support work, so hewent to England and offered the craftsmen there high wages and a better lifestyle, and when he returned from his trip he brought back 14 craftsmen.
 

Centering their production on high quality domestic ware such as pestles, mortars, washstands, hospital pans, floor tiles, telegraph insulators and tableware they still wanted to make porcelain.Failing at early attempts, until 1863 when a very small quantity of Parian was produced.
 
The company was successful however and by the early parts of 1865 it had established a growing market which sold to England, Ireland, and was reportedly also selling pieces in the growing United States as well as Canada. Orders that brought them greater fame were being taken from such nobility as Queen Victoria and  the Prince of Wales.

Accordingly, the Belleek Mark, as the company itself, has evolved and changed over the years, with more than ten marks being used, as well as special marks for different product ranges or specialty items.

    * The first Belleek mark, used from about 1863 to 1890.
    * The second Belleek Mark, used from 1891-1926.
    * Belleeks third mark,  used for about twenty years,  was used from 1926 through 1946.
    * The fourth Belleek mark was in use for only about nine years, from 1946-1955

 There are multiple other marks which were used in the interim from 1955 to present day, as well as speciality marks, leacing up to the mark which is used today, pictured here. The Belleek company is a prime example of companies whose logos or marks changed over the course of many years, and many changes within the company. This company alone has more than 19 marks including their specialty marks.