CHAPTER X.

Tunstall—Early Potters—Enoch Booth—Child—Winter—Unicorn and Pinnox Works—Greenfield Works—Newfield Works—George Street Pottery—Phœnix Works—Sandyford—Lion Works—Victoria Works—Swan Bank Works—Church Bank Works—Well Street Works—Old Works—Black Bank—High Street Works—Woodland Pottery—Greengate Pottery—Sandyford Works—Tunstall Works—Highgate Pottery—Clay Hill Pottery—Royal Albert Works—Soho Works—Marshall & Co.—Walton—Stevenson—Birch—Eastwood—Shorthose & Co.—Heath & Son—Newcastle-under-Lyme—Tobacco-pipes—Charles Riggs—Garden Edgings—Thomas Wood—Terra-cotta Works—Armitage—Lichfield—Penkhull, &c. &c.

The Tunstall potters enumerated by Shaw in 1829 are: John Mear, T. Goodfellow, Ralph Hall, S. & J. Rathbone, J. Boden, Bourne, Nixon & Co., Breeze & Co., and Burrows & Co. Ward in 1842 enumerates seventeen manufactories at Tunstall; these were as under. China and earthenware, three, viz.: Hancock & Wright, Bill & Proctor, and Rathbone & Brummitt. Earthenware only, twelve, viz.: Wood & Challinor, Thos. Goodfellow, John Meir & Son, Joseph Heath & Co., Hall & Holland, Wm. Adams, Jun., & Co. (Greenfield), Podmore, Walker & Co. (two manufactories), James Beech (two), Thos. Bowley, and Mayer & Mawdesley. China toys and black ware, two, viz.: Michael Tunnicliffe and John Harrison. Mr. Abraham Lowndes was also a manufacturer here. Messrs. James Beech & Abraham Lowndes had a manufactory here in 1829.

In the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries the common coarse brown ware of the period was made at Golden Hill, near Tunstall, and later on the ordinary “brown chequered and Porto Bello wares were made.” In the beginning of this century there was a small establishment for the manufacture of cream colour and porcelain, but it is now (says Shaw in 1829) discontinued, and the building is converted into dwelling-houses. At Green Lane, Golden Hill, coarse black and brown ware was formerly made.

Enoch Booth.—This potter established a manufactory at CliffBank, Tunstall, and about 1750 commenced making cream-coloured ware of a superior kind, “which was coated with a glaze of lead ore and ground flint.” He married Ann, one of the daughters of Thomas Child, of Tunstall, on a part of whose property he settled and commenced his works. By this marriage he had, with other issue, a daughter Ann, who married Anthony Keeling, by whom he was succeeded in business. The works were afterwards carried on by Mr. T. Goodfellow. Keeling about 1793 built a large residence adjoining his works, and in 1810 retired from business; he died at Liverpool in 1866 (seePhœnix Works).

Child.—About 1763 Mr. Smith Child established a pottery here, which was afterwards carried on by Mr. Clive. It was subsequently occupied by Messrs. Joseph Heath & Co., Mr. Anthony Shaw, and the Messrs. Adams. Some examples are known which bear the impressed nameCHILD(seeNewfield Works).

Winter.—“Early in the present century,” says Shaw, “Captain Winter having boasted that the articles of his manufacture at Tunstall were the only true porcelain made in Staffordshire, experienced no little chagrin on ascertaining that his ware would fuse at a heat much below that usually required,” &c.

Unicorn PotteryandPinnox Works.—These large and important manufactories, situated in Amicable Street and Great Woodland Street, for the production of general earthenware, early in the present century were occupied by Mr. E. Challinor, who was succeeded in 1825 by Messrs. G. Podmore Walker & Co., who also occupied the Swan Bank Pottery. That firm was succeeded by the present proprietors, “Messrs. E. Wedgwood & Co.,” the head of the firm being Enoch Wedgwood, Esq., of Port Hill, J.P. for the county of Stafford, whose elder son, Edmund M. Wedgwood, is also a partner. The works are of large extent, and give employment to six or seven hundred persons; they occupy an area of about an acre of ground, and are among the most substantially built and best arranged in the pottery district. The goods produced are the higher classes of earthenware. In these, dinner, tea, breakfast, dessert, toilet and other services, and all the usual miscellaneous articles, are made to a very considerable extent, both for the home, colonial, continental, and American markets, to which considerable quantities are regularlyexported. The quality of the “Imperial Ironstone China”—the staple production of the firm—is of remarkable excellence, both in body and in glaze, and the decorations are characterized by pure taste, artistic feeling, and precision of execution; they consist of an endless variety of admirable patterns, printed in various colours, wholly or partially hand-painted, enamelled, and gilt. The great and laudable aim of the present firm has been and is to produce the best, most artistic, and most pleasingly effective designs, and to adapt them to ordinary purposes, so that they may become the every-day surroundings of the artisan as well as of the educated man of taste. Thus they associate durability of quality in body and a perfect glaze with purity of outline in form, chasteness of decoration, and clearness and harmony of colour—adapting their designs and styles of decoration to the national tastes of the people in the various climes to which the goods are sent. One of the most successful of their ordinary printed designs is the pattern known as “Asiatic Pheasants,” which has become so popular as to be considered one of the standard patterns of this country and the colonies. Other equally effective designs have also been introduced by Mr. Wedgwood with great success.

In the higher classes of decoration—painting, jewelling, and gilding—the productions of this firm also rank deservedly high, and they are particularly successful in services bearing monograms and armorial decorations.

Besides the usual classes of useful and ornamental earthenware in services, &c., E. Wedgwood & Co. produce beautiful specimens of inlaid decorations for hall stairs, and elaborately carved furniture, which may hereafter be in general repute.

They have not made a public display of their distinct manufacture, except at the Paris Exhibition, where they were awarded a medal for the excellence of their earthenware. The marks used by the firm are the following, impressed in the body of the ware:

Fig. 647.

STONE CHINAWEDGWOOD & CO

Greenfield Works (William & Thomas Adams).—This business was originally established at Stoke by the grandfather of the present owner,William Adams, who then carried on the business in his own name until 1829, when the firm was changed to Wm. Adams & Sons; the second William Adams being head of the firm. In 1834 the business was considerably enlarged, and the present works at Greenfield, Tunstall, opened. In 1853 a dissolution of the firm took place, and the Greenfield works were carried on by William Adams (the second) until 1865, when he retired in favour of his sons, William and Thomas Adams, the present owners of the manufactory. The trade of this large and important manufactory is entirely confined to foreign markets, the principal trade being done with the Brazils, Cuba, Central America, Java, Manilla, Singapore, the United States, &c., the first six of which are the special trade of this firm. The quality of the earthenware is the best of its class, and is noted in the markets for which it is specially prepared for its durability, its “pleasant handling,” and the richness and variety of its coloured and sponged patterns, the bright fancy character of which is much admired in the out markets of the world which have been named. The goods produced are tea, toilet, and table services, besides a variety of other articles; and these are all the best of their class, both in body, in form, and in decoration. White granite (or ironstone china) of an excellent quality is also made for the American and other markets, some of the raised patterns—as, for instance, the “Dover”—being remarkably good, and the forms of the pieces—side-dishes with covers, &c.—being faultless. Transfer printing is much used, and is by this firm judiciously combined with “sponged” patterns with good effect.

William Adams was an apprentice to Josiah Wedgwood, and was a great favourite with him. He commenced business for himself at Tunstall, and there produced some fine works of art in jasper and other wares. He died quite in the beginning of the present century, and was, I have heard, succeeded in the Tunstall business by his son Benjamin Adams. Occasionally the nameADAMS, orW. ADAMS & SON, is met with.

“About 1800,” according to Shaw, “Mr. Benjamin Adams, of Tunstall, was successful in the manufacture of jasper” in imitation of, though not equal to, that of Wedgwood.

Newfield Works.—These were occupied in 1857 by the father of the members of the firm whose works have just been spoken of, and are now carried on by Mr. William Adams. The goods areof a similar excellent character and are produced for the same markets, with the addition of Australia and Cape of Good Hope. An extensive business is done with the United States, especially in Philadelphia and Baltimore (seeChild).

George Street Pottery, established 1862.—At these works Mr. W. Holdcroft (formerly Holdcroft & Wood) manufactures all kinds of earthenware dinner, toilet, tea, and other services, and the usual varieties of useful articles. Jugs are produced in immense quantities and of great variety, both in form and in styles of ornamentation, as is also every variety of goods. Even in the commoner classes a better style of decoration is observable in the productions of this manufactory than in many others. The styles of ornamentation are hand painting, transfer printing, ground colours, lustre-glazes, &c. The markets produced for are both home and foreign, and the general classes of goods are what may be called generally commercial. Connected with these works is the highly interesting fact that Mr. Holdcroft was the first to introduce the down-draught system of firing into the potteries, which has effected a great saving in fuel and a freedom from smoke. Mr. Wood was great-nephew of one of the most celebrated men of the district—the late Enoch Wood—and is now a partner in the firm of Poole, Stanway, & Wood, of Stoke.

Phœnix Works.—These works were built in the last century by Anthony Keeling, one of the eminent potters of the district in the “olden days,” and of whom a notice has already been given (page 424). He married Ann Booth, daughter of the celebrated Enoch Booth, to whose business he succeeded. At the commencement of the present century he was the principal manufacturer in Tunstall, but was unsuccessful and retired on a small independence in 1810. He was succeeded by Mr. Thomas Goodfellow, who made considerable additions to the establishment. They afterwards passed into the hands of Mr. Bridgwood, by whom (being, later on, joined in partnership by Mr. Edward Clarke) they were carried on under the style of “Bridgwood & Clarke.” Mr. Bridgwood dying in 1864, Mr. Clarke, whose large practical experience had added much to the already extensive transactions of the establishment, became sole proprietor, and carried on the concern until 1877, when he removed to the New Bridge Works at Longport, which see.Mr. Clarke produced “white granite” (porcelain opaque) in immense quantities and of the very best quality, for the American markets, where it successfully competed with “French porcelain;” artists’ palettes, tiles, slabs, saucers, &c., were also made in large quantities, and possessing all the requirements of hardness, evenness, and durability of glaze, are much esteemed. Finger plates and door furniture of every variety, both in black in white and in ivory coloured body, and plain or variously decorated, were also produced in large quantities. In ivory body, in white, and in brown, Mr. Clarke manufactured, very largely, castor bowls, which are used on legs of tables, chairs, sofas, &c., and on other varieties of furniture which require constant moving. Mr. Clarke also for many years carried on the “Churchyard Works” at Burslem, of which a lengthy notice is given on page 244. The marks used wereEDWARD CLARKE, impressed on the body of the ware, and the royal arms, with supporters, garter, motto, &c., above a flowing ribbon on which are the words “EDWARD CLARKE, PORCELAIN OPAQUE,” and, beneath,TUNSTALL(seeEnoch Booth).

Lion Works, Sandyford.—These works were commenced for goods for the home trade by James Beech in 1838, and afterwards passed into the hands of Thomas Walker, who made South American goods, and next, in 1856, to Broughton & Mayer, whose productions were for the United States. In 1862 the present firm, “Ford & Challinor,” became proprietors, and have continued the manufacture of general earthenware for the home and foreign markets.

Victoria Works.—Established and built by Mr. John Tomkinson in 1858, and carried on by him and Mr. G. W. Turner under the style of “Turner & Tomkinson” until 1873, when Mr. Tomkinson retired. The business is now carried on by Mr. Turner and his sons, under the style of “G. W. Turner & Sons.” The goods produced are the ordinary printed and enamelled earthenware in dinner, toilet and other services, &c., for the home and colonial markets. The mark used is simply the initials of the firm.

Swan Bank Works.—This is one of the oldest manufactories in Tunstall. In the beginning of the present century it belonged to and was worked by Mr. Ralph Hall, and is still the property ofhis descendants, his sole executor being Mr. Frederick J. Bowers, by whom (as successor to his father, Mr. George F. Bowers) the Brownhills Pottery was carried on until that concern was formed into a company (see page288). Mr. Ralph Hall was succeeded in the manufactory by Messrs. Podmore Walker & Co., by whom it was carried on until about 1862, when it passed into the hands of Messrs. Beech & Hancock, by whom it was much improved, and from them to its present occupier, James Beech.

The productions of the firm are the ordinary classes of earthenware and stoneware for the home trade. In these wares dinner, tea, toilet, and all the usual services are largely produced in every variety of style and of various degrees of ornamentation, both in “sponged,” printed, painted, enamelled, gilt and lustred styles. Stoneware jugs and other articles are also largely made and are of excellent quality, as are also black ware and other jardinières flower vases, &c.

Church Bank Works.—The Church Bank Works were built in 1842 by Mr. Robert Beswick (of Chell, the present owner), by whom they were carried on till 1860, and afterwards successively by the firms of Beech & Hancock, Eardley & Hammersley, and Ralph Hammersley alone. In 1870 the manufactory passed into the hands of its present occupiers, Messrs. Thomas Booth & Son. The firm commenced business in 1864 at the Knowles Works, Burslem, under the style of Evans & Booth, which in 1868 was altered to Thomas Booth & Co. In 1872 the style was changed to its present form of Thomas Booth & Son. The productions are earthenware of medium quality in which all the usual services and other domestic articles are produced for the home and colonial markets.

Well Street Pottery, called also theOld Works.—These works—of old foundation—are carried on by Mr. Stephen Clive under the style of Stephen Clive & Co., whose productions are the ordinary middle classes of earthenware goods for the home and foreign markets. The firm was formerly Clive & Lloyd, and after Mr. Lloyd retired became Stephen Clive & Co. “About 1802 Mr. William Brookes, engraver, then of Tunstall, afterwards of Burslem, suggested to Mr. J. Clive a new method of ornamenting by blue-printing. The border of the plate was engraved from a beautiful strip of border for paper-hangings of rooms, and many of the manufacturersapproved of the alteration. The New Hall Company instantly adopted it for some of their tea-services.”

Black Bank and High Street Works.—These works are carried on by Mr. Ralph Hammersley; the latter for the production of ordinary earthenware, and the former for common jet, red, and Rockingham ware articles.

Woodland Pottery.—Messrs. Hollinshed & Kirkham, formerly Edmund T. Wood, is situated in Woodland Street. Earthenware for the home and foreign markets is produced in all the usual varieties.

Greengate Pottery.—Messrs. Henry Meir & Son manufacture earthenware in all the usual services of the more ordinary classes.

Sandyford Works.—Ordinary earthenware is here made by Mr. Jabez Blackhurst.

Tunstall Works.—Messrs. Blackhurst & Dunning commenced these works in 1857 for the manufacture of ordinary earthenware for the home and South American markets. In 1867 Mr. Dunning died, and since then the business was carried on by Mr. Richard Blackhurst alone; he died in 1877.

Highgate Pottery.—Established by George Hood, who purchased the land from Mr. Randle-Wilkinson in 1831, and built the manufactory. The works were purchased by Mr. William Emberton in July, 1846, and carried on by him until his death in 1867, since which time they have been carried on by his two sons, Thomas Isaac Emberton and James Emberton, the present owners. The goods manufactured are all the usual varieties of earthenware for the home markets, and the firm are also large producers of special goods for Ceylon, Calcutta, Bombay, and other Indian markets.

Clay Hill Pottery.—Messrs. Thomas Elsmore & Son manufacture ordinary earthenware.

Royal Albert Works.—Mr. Albert Meakin produces the ordinary classes of earthenware goods.

Soho Works.—Mr. George Guest here manufactures common earthenware.

Fig. 648.

Marshall & Co.—This firm were manufacturers in the early part of this century, but their locality is unknown to me with certainty. The mark, Fig.648, occurs in the Mayer Museum. It is impressed on the bottom of a shell-piece, a part of a dessert service, painted in pink waves with gilt edge. It is a very good design, and in painting and gilding excellent.

Walton.—The name WALTON in a scroll, and also “Walton” alone, occur impressed in the ware of common earthenware statuettes.

Stevenson.—There were more than one firm of potters named Stevenson in Staffordshire. Some were of Cobridge. One potter of that name used a vesica-shaped mark bearing a three-masted ship with the name Stevenson above it impressed in the ware. Another used the mark of a crown within a circle, bearing the words A. STEVENSON, WARRANTED, STAFFORDSHIRE, impressed in the ware. Another mark was simply the nameSTEVENSON, also impressed.

Birch.—Mr. Birch produced Egyptian black ware articles of good quality. His mark was the name BIRCH, impressed in the ware.

Eastwood.—Red ware, cane-coloured ware, with raised foliage, flowers, figures, &c., and black ware tea-pots, were made by Eastwood, and bear his name impressed in the body of the ware,EASTWOODor Eastwood.

Shorthose & Co.—I have met with the marks ofSHORTHOSE & CO.,SHORTHOSE, Shorthose & Co., Shorthose, on a variety of wares, including ordinary cream-coloured services, white and printed goods, and Egyptian black and other articles. My late friend, Mr. Bagshawe, owned some good examples; he considered the works to have closed about 1820.

Heath & Son.—The two impressed marks here engraved, Figs.649 and 650, are supposed to be those of Messrs. Heath & Son. They occur on well-decorated earthenware services of average quality.

Figs. 649 and 650.

Charles Riggs’s Tobacco-pipes.—Two hundred years ago, when Plot wrote, there was a famous manufactory of tobacco-pipes at this place. The maker was Charles Riggs, and he made “very good pipes of three sorts of clay.” Plot says (1676), “As forTobacco-pipe claysthey are found all over the county, near Wrottesley House, and Stile Cop, in Cannock Wood, whereof they make pipes at Armitage and Lichfield, both which, though they aregreyish clays, yet burn very white. There isTobacco-pipe clayalso found at Darlaston, near Wednesbury; but of late disused, because of better and cheaper found in Monway-field, betwixt Wednesbury and Willingsworth, which is of awhitishcolour, and makes excellentpipes, as doth also another of the same colour dug near the Salt Water poole in Pensnet Chase, about a mile and a half south of Dudley. AndCharles Riggs, of Newcastle, makes very goodpipesof three sorts of clay—awhiteandblew—which he has from between Shelton and Hanley Green, whereof the blew clay burns thewhitest, but not sofullas thewhite,i.e., itshrinksmore; but the best sort he has is from Grubbers Ash, beingwhitishmixt withyellow. It is a short britle sort of clay, but burns full and white; yet he sometimes mixes it with the blew before mentioned.”

Fig. 651 and 652.

With reference to this Charles Riggs, pipe maker, of Newcastle-under-Lyme, it is interesting to add that nearly a hundred pipes, each bearing, as a heel or other mark, the initials C R in various forms—found at Newcastle and other localities in the district—have come under my notice, and are, there can be but little doubt, examples of his workmanship. They are interesting too as showing the transition in the lifetime of one maker from the flat heel to the pointed spur. Two of these are engraved on page 432 (Figs.651, 652). The first has a stamp on the heel bearing the initials C R between two crescents, one above, the other below. The second, being a pipe with pointed spur, has the stamp on the front of the bowl so as to face the smoker; it bears the same mark of initials C R (Charles Riggs?) and crescents. Another mark of Riggs was simply the initials C R as shown on the same group.

Thomas Wood’s Garden Edgings.—Tiles for garden edgings were in Plot’s time made at Newcastle-under-Lyme, and must have had extensive sale, as the gardens of the better kind were in those days always laid out in “Knots” of more or less elaborate design. Plot, speaking of this branch of manufacture, says: “Also at Newcastle-under-Lyme theTilesburnt in aKill, the usual way, being found not to last, oneMr. Thomas Wood, of the same Towne, first contrived to burn them (which we may look upon as an art relating to fire) in aPotter’s Oven, wherein he made them so good and lasting, that notwithstanding they have been put to the hardship of dividing the parts ofGarden Knots, to endure not only the perpetual moisture of the earth, but frost, snow, and all sorts of weather; yet they few of them decay, scarce 5 tiles in 500 having failed in 20 yeares time; so that now he has been followed by all the countrey thereabout.”

Newcastle Pottery.—This manufactory was established by Messrs. Harrison & Baker in 1866, for the production of red ware, ebony or jet ware, and terra cotta, as well as ordinary horticultural goods. In red and jet wares the usual useful and ornamental classes of articles are made, and are of average quality. Rockingham ware is also somewhat largely made.

Keys and Mountford.—In the Exhibition of 1851 Messrs. Keys and Mountford exhibited, and received honourable mention for parian statuettes.

In 1676, when Plot wrote, there was a manufactory of pipes at this place. They were made from the native greyish clay of the district, which burned very white.

The manufactory of pipes from the native clays of Cannock Wood and other places in the county, which, though naturally grey, burned very white, is mentioned by Plot in 1676.

In 1600, it is stated by Shaw, there “were three manufactories for coarse brown pottery” at Penkhull, “one of which belonged to Mr. Thomas Doody, whose descendants now reside at Tunstall.”

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