Before establishing his own company, William De Morgan (16th November 1839 - 15th January 1917), worked for William Morris and Co., for whom his main contribution was, initially, stained glass.

His main interest, however, lay in the design of lustre ware pottery and 'art tiles', in which he was strongly influenced by the art of the Medieval period, particularly illuminated manuscripts, and by the Italian Rennaissance and Middle Eastern design.