Mason's chronology

1752	December Birth of Miles Mason in Yorkshire
1760s	Miles Mason moves to London, possibly as apprentice to his uncle, John Bailey.
1775	Death of Richard Farrer, china dealer of Fenchurch Street, London, leaving a fortune of £30, 000 to his daughter Ruth.
1782	Miles Mason marries Ruth Farrer, and takes control of Richard Farrer's china retailing business.
1783	Birth of Miles and Ruth Mason's first child, Ann Ruth.
1783	September Miles Mason becomes a Freeman of the Glass Sellers Company.
1785	January 27 Miles and Ruth first son, William, is born.
1789	May 9 Their second son, George Miles, is born.
1791	July 16 Their third son, Charles James, is born.
1796	Miles Mason enters into a porcelain-making partnership with Thomas Wolfe and John Lucock at the Islington Pottery, Liverpool (known as Thomas Wolfe & Co.).
1796-1800	Miles Mason enters into a partnership with George Wolfe to manufacture pottery at the Victoria Pottery, Lane Delph, Staffordshire.
1800-1806	Miles Mason continues production alone at the Victoria Pottery, Lane Delph.
c.1802	Miles Mason gives up his interests in the retail premises at Fenchurch Street, London.
1806-1813	Miles Mason takes over the larger Minerva Works, Lane Delph, Staffordshire. William Mason, his eldest son, becomes a partner.
1808	January 12 William Mason marries Susannah Heming of Mapleton, Derbyshire.
1811	Miles and William Mason take over Sampson Bagnall's Works, Lane Delph, Staffordshire.
1813	Charles James Mason takes out a patent on ironstone china for 'making English porcelain'. Mason's purchase the Fenton Stone Works, High Street, Lane Delph, Staffordshire.
1813-16	George Miles and Charles James Mason take control of the Minerva Works.
1814	February George Miles Mason marries Eliza Heming, sister of William's wife, Susannah.
1815	August Charles James Mason marries Sarah Spode.
1815	William Mason has opened a pottery retailing business at 1 Smithy Door, Manchester.
1822	April 26 Miles Mason dies, and is buried at Barlaston, Staffordshire.
c.1822-4	William Mason listed in the Rate Books as the tenant of a pottery at Fenton Culvert.
c.1824	Samuel Bayliss Faraday is made partner in the Mason's business.
1826	George Miles Mason retires. The firm continues trading as C.J Mason & Co.
1834	Death of Ruth, wife of Miles Mason. She is buried at Norbury, Derbyshire.
1836	Charles James Mason becomes an active member of the Potteries' Chamber of Commerce.
1840	Samuel Bayliss Faraday is made partner in the Mason's business.
1844	Chartist riots in Staffordshire.
1844	Death of Samuel Bayliss Faraday. Charles James Mason is declared bankrupt.
1848	Francis Morley buys the Mason patterns and shapes and removes them to the Broad Street Works, Hanley, Staffordshire (present site of Mason's ironstone factory).
1850-8	Firm trades as Francis Morley & Co.
c.1851-3	Charles James Mason enters into a second pottery manufacturing venture at the Daisy Bank Works, Lane End, Longton, Staffordshire.
1852	Charles James marries for the second time, to Miss Astbury of Longton.
1853	Charles James is forced to sell the factory for a second time.
1856	Death of Charles James Mason. He is buried at Norbury, Derbyshire.
1858	Francis Morley forms a partnership with his son-in-law, Taylor Ashworth, trading as Morley & Ashworth.
c.1862	Death of William Mason.
1862	Francis Morley retires from the business, passing the effects to Taylor Ashworth.
c.1861-1968	The company commences trading as George L. Ashworth & Bros Ltd.
1883	December is purchased by John Shaw Goddard, son of a china exporter.
1884	January Ashworth's becomes a limited company.
1919	John Vivian Goddard succeeds his father.
1968	March The firm changes its name to Mason's Ironstone China Ltd.
1973	April Mason's join the Wedgwood Group and are renamed Mason's Ironstone.