William Moorcroft was born in Burslem, Staffordshire in 1872. He studied at the South Kensington School of Art, and in 1898 joined James Macintyre & Co to take charge of their art pottery department.

Work designed by Moorcroft was sold at the most prestigious outlets; Tiffany of New York and Liberty of London. He won the gold medal for pottery at the 1904 St Louis Centennial Exhibition.

In 1913, when Macintyre's art pottery department closed, he opened his own pottery, W Moorcroft Limited.