Background
He was born in Burslem, Staffordshire.
He was born in Burslem, Staffordshire.
He studied art at Burslem then in London and Paris.
He experimented with his own pottery designs around 1896 while working for James Macintyre & Company Limited. and produced Aurelian Ware which was partly decorated with transfers and partly painted by hand. Moorcroft developed highly lustred glazes and used oriental shapes and decorations. Some of his techniques were closely guarded trade secrets.
He then developed his famous Florian Ware, with heavy slip and a translucent glaze which produces brilliance of colour.
In 1913, William Moorcroft set up his own factory at Cobridge with staff from Macintyres, and backed by a financial arrangement with Liberty & Company of London, The business succeeded. Much of the output was sold through Liberty & Company and Tiffany in New New York
In 1928 Queen Mary made him "Potter to the Queen" through a Royal Warrant, which was stamped on the pottery.