Frank, I'm afraid I disagree with your comment here
'From the data given by Anne it would appear that they added Royal to the glassworks name between 1925 and 1931. '
In the London Gazette, dated 18 September, 1931,(source Anne's post - it's my underlining in the para quoted below) it specifically states
"STEVENS AND WILLIAMS Limited.
The Companies Act, 1929.
AT an Extraordinary General Meeting of the Members of the above named Company, duly convened, and held at The Brierley Hill Glass Works, Brierley Hill, in the county of Stafford, on the 11th day of September, 1931, the following Special Resolution was duly passed:
"That it is desirable to reconstruct the Company, and accordingly that the Company be wound up voluntarily; and that Mr. Thomas Henry Gough, Chartered Accountant, of Dudley, be and he is hereby appointed Liquidator for the purposes of such winding-up."
(105) H. S. WILLIAMS-THOMAS, Chairman."'
i.e. on 11 September 1931 the glass works was still called The Brierley Hill Glass Works.
and also
In this paragraph quoted from Anne's earlier post from L Angus Butterworth: British Table & Ornamental Glass, it says they added the word 'Royal' to their name of Brierley Crystal (as a brand name). It has no source for that assertion and it has no date for the addition of the word 'Royal' to their brand name of Brierley Crystal, and it doesn't mention that they added the word Royal to their glass works name:
'According to L Angus Butterworth: British Table & Ornamental Glass, in the section on Stevens and Williams Ltd, the addition of Royal to their name of Brierley Crystal (as a brand name) came about after the firm received the Royal Warrant to supply King George V with glassware. LAB gives the date of the Royal Warrant as before 1925 when the Duke of York (later King George VI) visited the glassworks with his wife, and that was "shortly after this honour had been accorded."'
There's a lot of confusion around this paragraph. The warrant was issued in 1919, the visit occurred in 1925, and there is no evidence I can find for the actual date of when the word Royal was added to their name of Brierley Crystal (as a brand name) and nothing mentioning the glassworks either.
Also, I think it is important for the correct company name to be used when describing items.
In summary I believe this is the chain of events and correct names for the company by date so far:
1740 - Brierley Hill Glass Works - a glassworks founded in c1740
1846 - Stevens & Williams - Were a partnership formed who owned the glassworks
called Brierley Hill Glass Works
1903 - Stevens & Williams - We know this was still the company name at the point of 30th January 1903
1903-1920 - Stevens & Williams/ - At some date between 30 January 1903 and 2nd January 1920 the Stevens & Williams company
Stevens & Williams Ltd became Stevens & Williams Ltd
- Date still to be determined
1920-1930 - Stevens & Williams Ltd - The company was called this between 2nd January 1920 and 1930 (Source – London Gazette )
1931 - Stevens & Williams Ltd - We know the company was called this on 11 September 1931
On 11 September 1931 that company trading as Stevens & Williams Ltd was formally wound up
1931-1985 - Stevens & Williams Ltd - The company was registered as this name between 18 September 1931 and 28 May 1985
(note - this is not an error, the company was wound up and renamed as the same name)
1985-2000 - Royal Brierley Crystal Limited - Between 28 May 1985 and 11 Dec 2000 the company was renamed Royal Brierley Crystal
Limited
2000-2008 - Rbc Realisations Limited - Between 11 Dec 2000 and 19 February 2008 the Company was renamed Rbc Realisations
Limited
Therefore:
- whether or not a product was made under a product range that Stevens & Williams had denoted as the range 'Royal Brierley Crystal' is irrelevant for the purposes of correctly identifying their wares from 1846 until 28th May 1985
as
- all products produced by Stevens and Williams from 1846 up until 28th May 1985 can legitimately be referred to as:
'A Stevens & Williams (insert range name or just insert item name if range name not known)' .
m