J THOMPSONorJOSEPH THOMPSONWOODEN BOXPOTTERYDERBYSHIRE
J THOMPSON
or
JOSEPH THOMPSONWOODEN BOXPOTTERYDERBYSHIRE
Hartshorne Pottery.—These works were established about 1790 by James Onions, who was succeeded by Luke Copeland. The works were next carried on by Messrs. Read, Malkin and Co., and afterwards by Read and Malkin only, and next by G. S. Read alone, who continued proprietor for thirty or forty years. Mr. Read died in January, 1860, and in March of the same year the concern passed into the hands of its present owner, Mr. J. B. Rowley. The goods produced are “Derbyshire Ironstone” or cane-coloured ware, Rockingham ware, Mottled ware, Buff ware, and Black Lustre ware of the usual quality and character. In these, bowls of various kinds, jugs of all descriptions, jars, dishes, tea and coffee-pots, mugs, and almost every article for domestic use, are extensively made.
Woodville Tile Works.—At these works, established by Messrs. Barry and Co., sanitary goods and geometric and other tiles are made. The tiles are “encaustic, mosaic, geometrical, and white-glazed tiles for baths, &c.,” of average quality. In terra-cotta, vases, chimney-tops, and other ornamental goods are produced, as are also fire-backs for stoves, &c.
Woodville Pottery.—This manufactory was established in 1833 (in which year it was built) by Messrs. Thomas Hall and William Davenport, both of whom are now deceased. In 1858 the works passed into the hands of Messrs. Thomas Betteridge and Thomas Nadin. In 1863 Mr. Nadin retired from the concern, which, from that time to the present, has been carried on solely by Mr. Thomas Betteridge. The goods produced are the usual classes of Derbyshire cane-coloured ironstone, Rockingham, mottled, and buff wares of the district. In these all the ordinary articles—jugs, tea and coffee-pots, dishes and bowls, jars, and other domestic vessels—are made in considerable quantities. The quality is that of the entire district.
Albion Works.—The Albion Fire Clay Works, established by the present proprietors, Messrs. Hosea Tugby & Co., produce all the usual fire-clay goods, bricks, tiles, &c. The firm have patented a “continuous direct action kiln.”
Woodville Potteries.—These works were established about 1810 by the late Mr. Watts, who was joined in partnership by his relative, Mr. Cash, and it has remained in the same family to the present day. The present proprietors are Mr. William Cash and his son Mr. Thomas Cash, who still trade under the style of “Watts and Cash.” The productions of this pottery are the Derbyshire “ironstone” or “yellow” ware, buff-coloured ware, Rockingham ware, &c., of the ordinary qualities, in which all the usual varieties of domestic vessels, services, &c., are largely manufactured, principally for the American and other foreign markets. The local clay from which these goods are produced “is peculiar to this district, and is not found precisely the same anywhere else;” it was not brought into use for ceramic purposes until the establishment of these works.
The Rawdon Potterywas built by the fourth Marquess of Hastings, on whose estate it was situate, and was first worked by John Hall, who was succeeded, on his failure, by John Brunt, who carried it on until his death. He was succeeded by his son, Mr. Thomas Brunt, who, however, did not succeed in the business, and in 1861 the works passed into the hands of the present proprietors, Messrs.Smith, Dooley, and Co. The goods produced are the usual varieties of articles in “Derbyshire Ironstone,” or cane-coloured ware, Rockingham ware, buff ware, and cream-coloured ware.
The “Pool Works” for terra-cotta fire-bricks and sanitary tubes, at Woodville, near Burton-on-Trent, were established about the year 1830, by the late Mr. Joseph Walker Bourne, yellow earthenware manufacturer, of Church Gresley, who purchased the property of the late Sir Roger Gresley, Bart., of Drakelow Hall, Derbyshire, and established the works for the manufacture, on a small scale, of fire-bricks for his earthenware manufactory. After the death of Mr. Bourne, in 1840, the present proprietor, Mr. Edward Ensor, then of Lyme Regis, Dorsetshire, purchased the business, and the year following sent his second son, Henry Loader Ensor, at the age of fourteen years, to learn, and eventually manage, the business. At that time the works consisted of a 4-horse power condensing engine to grind and prepare the fire-clay; two small hovels or sheds, and two small brick-kilns, covering an extent of 4,000 yards, the whole make not exceeding 20,000 bricks per week, and only seven men and six boys being employed. The market for the bricks was the local earthenware manufactories and collieries, and a few towns in the immediate neighbourhood; the bricks being carted to the Ashby and Burton Canals. About that time, the clay being found suitable for making crucibles for steel refiners at Sheffield, their manufacture was introduced into that market, and has gradually grown into a very important branch of the trade of the district. In 1845 Mr. Ensor, senr., came to live in his present residence, Gresley Cottage, and took the active management of the business. In 1846 the Midland Railway opened the line from Burton to Leicester, with branches to Woodville and Swadlincote, thus opening up a means of cheaper transit for the valuable productions of the neighbourhood. From this time the different manufactories and collieries greatly increased, and other branches of the trade were started, such as salt-glazed sanitary pipes and terra-cotta chimney-tops, &c. About 1850 Mr. Ensor purchased the Pool property from Mr. Mammatt, and soon after this his eldest son, Edward, having returned from South Africa, took part in the management of the business. In 1864, Mr. Ensor having seen the Hoffman Patent Brick Kiln at Wakefield, and being struck with the saving of fuel effected in burning common bricks,purchased the right of the sole use of the patent in this district, and erected kilns, drying-sheds, &c., intending to burn all his goods by this system, but found it essential to introduce many improvements and alterations, as the Hoffman system, although well adapted for common red bricks (which require little heat), was not adapted to fire-brick and terra-cotta, which requires very great heat. Mr. Ensor succeeded in inventing a process by which he retained the heat so effectively that 3 cwt. of small coal more successfully burnt 1,000 bricks than 20 cwt. of good rough coal did in the most approved old-fashioned kilns. At this time,i.e.in 1865, the works consisted of four high-pressure engines for grinding and preparing the clay for the different branches of the manufactory. The machinery for grinding the fire-clay was two pairs of iron rollers and pug mill; that for the terra-cotta clay was different, and consisted of edge runners of great weight revolving in an iron pan, to reduce the clay into a fine powder before passing through sieves and the pug mill. At this time Carr’s “Patent Disintegrator,” for mixing and reducing manures, &c., was seen by Mr. Ensor, to whom it occurred it might be adapted to this process, and he erected one, adding to it many improvements, and eventually so constructed it that it is now the most valuable clay reducer ever used. The machine is circular, made of iron, and consists of four rows of bars, each running in opposite directions at the speed of 400 revolutions per minute; the clay being put in the centre, is forced out through the bars, thus reducing it into the finest powder, and pulverising from 50 to 150 tons in a day of 10 hours, according to the texture of the clay. About 1868, through an itinerant firebrand causing a strike amongst the colliers of the district, and thus almost stopping the different trades of the district through want of coal, and its consequent high price, experiments were tried by Edward Ensor, jun., who ultimately patented “a process for an improved system of burning all kinds of earthenware, salt-glazed, sanitary, and terra-cotta goods, fire, blue, and common bricks, tiles, &c., lime, and other commodities.” A kiln on this principle was erected, and has been a perfect success, and is still in use at these works for burning salt-glazed sanitary goods, and at several other manufactories for bricks, in each case effecting a saving of 75 per cent. in fuel and in labour. The works at the present time occupy an area of 40,000 yards, and employ about 290 persons. Another patent adopted at theseworks is the “Patent Wire Rope Tramway” for conveying any material any distance up to one mile over hilly or broken ground; which has been so improved as to be made to drain the pits of water by pumping, hoisting the clay out of the pits from a depth of about 20 yards to the surface, and conveying it to the machinery for making up into bricks, and to the railway for conveyance to the different steel-melting districts. The fire-bricks made here are sent to every quarter of the globe, being largely used by Government on colonial military stations in the erection of cooking-ranges, ovens, and boilers; and for sugar refineries in China and the East, as well as for glass, earthenware, gas, iron and steel works in our own country. Fire-place backs are also extensively made. The salt-glazed sanitary goods are of excellent and durable quality, and, being highly vitrified in the body, are capable of withstanding the action of the acids in sewage, &c. In terra-cotta, the only art-branch carried on at the Pool Works, vases, tazzas, pedestals, brackets, trusses, and ornamental bricks are produced, many of which are of very good design; the colour is a light stone.
The beds of clay on this property are as follows:—The principal, or fire-clay, found at a depth of from 10 to 30 yards, is a bed of about 6 feet in thickness, “and is proved to be equal to any bed in the kingdom.” There are also valuable beds of clay for terra-cotta and salt-glazed ware, both above and below the fire-clay: these consist of, first, common marl, generally blue in colour, from 2 to 4 yards in thickness (this is intermixed with small ironstones, round and oval in form); then a thin bed of clunch; next a thin vein of coal or smut, about a foot in thickness, but of little value; then another bed of marl, from 3 to 5 feet, with small pieces of ironstone intermixed, generally kidney-shaped; then the fire-clay, 6 feet; next 1 foot of smut or coal; then a bed of clay called “bottle clay,” good for brown earthenware, of similar character to the Chesterfield and Denby ware, but used by the firm for pipes, from 6 to 9 feet in thickness; then a very hard light-coloured clay, full of silica, which is used for terra-cotta, &c.
Woodville.—Messrs. Barry & Co. manufacture all the usual varieties of glazed stoneware sewerage and drain-pipes.
Wooden Box Pottery.—This manufactory was established by Mr. Thomas Hallam in 1817. Since his time it has been successivelyworked by Mr. Robinson, Messrs. Harrison and Cash, Messrs. Hallam & Co., and Messrs. Watts and Cash. Its present proprietor is Mr. Thomas Nadin, who manufactures ironstone, cane, buff, and Rockingham wares of the usual kinds and qualities as the other Derbyshire manufactories. No mark is used.
Mount Pleasant Works.—In 1847 the late Mr. John Knowles, of Matlock, established these works for the manufacture of bricks, tiles, fire-clay goods, and terra cotta. These he continued till his death in 1869, when they were carried on by Mrs. Knowles, his widow, till 1871; since that time they have been continued by the trustees of Mrs. Knowles, under the style of “John Knowles & Co.” Besides all the usual classes of bricks, tiles, stove-backs, garden edgings, salt-glazed sanitary and drain-pipes, &c., some highly ornate chimney-tops, and garden vases of good design are made. The firm are also proprietors of crucible and cement fire clays.
Coleorton Pottery.—Established in 1835 by Messrs. Wilson, Lount, and Proudman. On the retiring of the latter partners, the works were carried on by Mr. Thomas Wilson alone, and so continue. The productions are yellow, buff or cane, and Rockingham wares, in which all the usual domestic articles are made. The ware is of more than average excellence in quality. The “buff” is made of a mixture of Devonshire china clay and the local clay found close by the works, from which the yellow ware is made; it is found about nine yards below the surface, underlying a seam of coal. The London and other home markets are supplied. No mark is used.