Originally founded in Hunslet, a village just outside Leeds, around 1756, Leeds Pottery was owned by members of two families, both called Green, who were then joined by a Lancashire businessman, William Hartley, giving the company the name under which it became famous. Hartley Greens & Co. rapid expansion followed and by 1790, the Pottery products were exported throughout Europe and as far afield as Russia and America. Hartley Greens & Co produced several kinds of pottery but was particularly famous for its Creamware, a new type of earthenware made from white Cornish clay combined with a translucent glaze to produce its characteristic pale cream color. Creamware was perfect for making the elegant and highly decorative tableware in demand in the Georgian age. The commercial success and outstanding quality of the Leeds product meant that in time all Creamware came to be popularly known as Leedsware.