W. T. Copeland & Sons

William Taylor Copeland (1797-1868) bought the Spode pottery in 1833, after Josiah Spode II, the son of founder Josiah Spode I, died in 1827. W. T. Copeland's father, William Copeland, had been a partner in Spode's retail division in London, Spode & Copeland. Copeland continued using the old Spode works in Stoke-On-Trent, producing earthenware, porcelain, and Parian. Thomas Garrett was taken on as a partner, and the firm became Copeland & Garrett. Garrett retired on 24 June 1847. In 1867 W. T. Copeland's four sons were admitted to partnership, and the company name changed to W. T. Copeland & Sons. On 31 December 1867 William Taylor Copeland retired, leaving his four sons to continue the firm. The company stayed in the family until 1966, and in 1970 the company name changed to Spode, Ltd. The Portmeirion Group acquired Spode in 2009.