Ridgways 19th century English ironstone plates

English 19th century Ridgways ironstone plates, royal semi-porcelain. A set of 7 soup plates with delicate Beaufort pattern decoration. The Ridgway family was one of the important dynasties manufacturing Staffordshire pottery, with a large number of family members and company names, spanning from the 1790s to the end of the 20th century. What is ironstone? Ironstone is not porcelain; it is porous earthenware, made from clay mixed with feldspar. Patented in 1813 by Charles James Mason in Staffordshire, England, it was an immediate success, and ironstone blanks were decorated with transfer designs or hand-painted to imitate Chinese porcelain. A fair set for its age, still quite white, three of them have chips (details see photos). Diameter: 24.5 cm.