May I just add here that Nazeing Glass were going to reproduce the Portland vase, but the 2007 recession put paid to that ambition and that we decided having stopped making lead crystal in April 2003, to concentrate on developing a better non toxic crystal than out barium crystal that had most of the properties of lead, which we achieved and patented in May 2012. It looks like lead crystal, has a ring like lead crystal, can be cut and polished like lead crystal but has no lead! We were going to call it "Non Toxic Crystal" but have been threatened with legal action by the big lead crystal manufacturers who are afraid that a panic will occurr and we could be scaremongering and that lead crystal is perfectly safe now, so have dropped non toxic in the title and gone for "Improvements in crystal glass" in our patent title.
Regarding the longevity, we have always stated that we were the last glass company left in Vauxhall when the Kemptons moved out to Nazeing in 1928, an area whose glass making history goes back to 1612 and Sir Edward Zouche's works- never that we were directly descended!
But....But.. and this is STOP press!..
tTe latest research proves that Charles Henry Kempton who founded the Albert Glass Works in 1874, was the son in law of Henry Hall profession Glassblower- the marriage certificate original I have states this
This Henry Hall we believe was the direct descendant ( grandson?) of Stephen Hall who owned both the Falcon Stairs Glassworks- later Apsl;ey Pellat AND Whitefriars Glass.
He bought the glass works by Whitefriars Dock circa 1770 from Carey Stafford and it appears "had considerable expertise in mixing coloured glass" . This comes from the superb book on Whitefriars Glass by Wendy Evans , Catherine Ross adn Alex Werner, Museum of London.
My latest research seems to conclude that some pieces in Cryril Manleys excellent book of "Decorative Victorian Glass" is in fact London made and some pieces are by Kemmptons, as they appear in adverts of the 1880's!
All will be revealed in my forthcoming paper, "Peering through the smog and obscurity of Victorian Glass makers."
Finally regarding family glassmakers, what about the Riedel family? They show a document dated 1756 on their offical website........and how do you define family? Our claim is three families, Hall, Kempton and Pollock-Hill ( 2 generations) over nearly 300 years, not Riedel -one family!