Denby.
The “Denby Pottery” is situated in the parish of Denby, seven miles from Derby and two from Ripley,—a village memorable as being the birthplace of Flamstead, the astronomer,—in the midst of the rich ironstone and coal-fields of Derbyshire, the former of which are said to have been regularly worked from the time of the Romans.[34] The works were commenced in 1809 by a Mr. Jäger, on the estate of W. Drury Lowe, Esq., where, some time before, a valuable and extensive bed of clay had been found to exist. This clay, previous to the establishment of the Denby Works, was used at the Belper Pottery, for the manufacture of stoneware ink, blacking, and other bottles. The Denby clay was also supplied to the Derby China Works, in considerable quantities, where it was used for saggers, and for a few other articles which were produced. In 1812, Mr. Joseph Bourne, son of William Bourne, of the Belper Pottery, succeeded Mr. Jäger, and the Belper and Denby works were carried on simultaneously until 1834, when the Belper Works were discontinued, and the plant and workpeople removed to Denby. The works were at this time much increased, and gradually extended their operations. In 1833, the Codnor Park Works (which see) passed into the hands of Mr. Bourne, and were carried on by him, along with those of Denby, until 1861, when they were closed, and the workpeople, plant, &c., as in the case of the Belper Works, removed to Denby. Considerable additions were made for this increase of workpeople, and the manufactory was much extended. In 1845, Mr. Bourne also became possessed of the Shipley Pottery (which see), and in 1856 removed those works to Denby. With the Denby Pottery are therefore incorporated those of Belper, Codnor Park, and Shipley.
Mr. Joseph Bourne having taken his son, Joseph Harvey Bourne, into partnership, the business was carried on under the style of Joseph Bourne and Son, and has so continued until the present day. Joseph Bourne died in 1860, and his son in 1869, and the works are still carried on, under the old trading style, by the family. In 1851 a medal was awarded to Mr. Bourne for his stone bottles.
In addition to the extensions required from time to time at Denby to provide for these continual augmentations arising from the closing of the smaller works, the business has so extended as to necessitate considerable additions and improvements. Excellent machinery has been applied to the blunging and other processes, and instead of the old process of getting rid of the water from the slip by evaporation, the clay is obtained therefrom by the patented process invented by Messrs. Needham and Kite, Vauxhall, London, ten of their presses being employed, turning out at least 25 tons per day of workable clay. The class of ware produced has not varied to any extent, though an advance in shape and quality is evident from a comparison with some of the earlier specimens extant. The great bulk of the stoneware produced by Messrs. Bourne and Son is the kind known as the salt-glazed stoneware, which, on account of its peculiar vitreous and non-absorbent qualities, is in great demand not only in the home market, but in all parts of the world. About the year 1836 a considerable change was made in the size and form of the salt-glazed kilns, and for these improvements Mr. Joseph Bourne obtained a patent. The old kilns were only half the height of the present ones, and had each five chimneys. To these, what may be called an upper storey has been added, and, while the lower half is fired by mouths opening into the kiln and the flame passing perpendicularly up the kiln, the upper portion is fed by fires passing out of the kiln by means of flues at the side, and the modern kilns have only one chimney, thus securing a better consumption of smoke and lessening the objectionable results which would follow from such a dense volume of smoke proceeding from a low chimney. Since this patent was taken out an additional improvement has been made by the erection on the top of each kiln of a separate small oven, in which biscuit or terra-cotta fancy articles can be burnt, these being simply burnt by the heat passing up the chimney and from the top of the kiln, but no flame or salt-glaze reaching the goods. Much thought and care as well as considerable expense have been expended during the last twenty years to perfect the manufacture of telegraph insulators, and the very large business transactions in this department proves that the enterprise of the firm has not been fruitless.
Messrs. Bourne and Son have for many years possessed the exclusive right to manufacture Mr. Varley’s Patent Double V. Insulators, and since the transfer of the telegraphs to the Government, the firm have executed immense quantities for that department of the public service. A demand having recently arisen for white-glazed ink and other bottles, additional appliances have been provided on the most approved and modern principles, which have enabled the firm to produce a class of ware of this description unrivalled alike for its excellence and appearance.
Figs. 107 to 109.
The main productions of the works are as follows:—
In bottles, which are the staple production, almost every variety are manufactured in large quantities both in the patented vitreous stone, and white glazed, varieties of ink-bottles of every shape and size are made by thousands weekly, as are also ale, porter, ginger-beer, blacking, fruit, and every other kind of bottles. Spirit and other liquor bottles, with handles, up to a very large size, are also made. Feet-warmers, carriage-warmers, and medical appliances, with or without patent screw stoppers; spittoons, tobacco-jars, churns, mortars and pestles, pipkins, bird fountains, inkstands, feeding-bottles, candlesticks, pork-pie moulds, and every variety of domestic vessels, are made. Druggists’ shop-jars, snuff-jars, spirit-barrels, pudding-moulds, &c., many of them highly ornamented, are also made. The filters are of excellent construction, and good form, and are made to purify from 5 to 30 gallons per day each.
“Hunting Jugs”—a name by which a certain class of jugs with raised ornaments consisting of hunting subjects, sometimes a stag, at others a fox, chased by horsemen and dogs; and with other relief subjects of trees, bee-hives, windmills, and men seated smoking or drinking, &c., are called—are made here to a great extent, and of the hardest and most durable quality, and with an excellent glaze. Some of these are made with greyhound handles of very clever and effective design, of the class shown on Fig. [98]. Upright jugs, or canettes, of the same general character, are also made, as are also plain jugs. Jars, too, are a staple branch of the Denby manufacture, and for preserves, pickles, jellies, marmalades, &c., are considered to be of the best quality. They are made of the most approved shapes, and of every variety of size, covered and uncovered; one great advantage of this make being the great width of the mouth, ensuring cleanliness, and preventing the waste that occurs with an overhanging shoulder. The same remark holds good with regard to the stew-pots.
In terra-cotta, which is of a remarkably light and fine quality, and of a warm buff colour, many elegant articles are made. These are flower vases of various designs, lotus vases, garden and other vases, wine-coolers, water-bottles, ewers with snake handles, flower-stands, Stilton-cheese stands and trays, fern stands, fonts, Indian scent jars, butter coolers, mignionette boxes, and many other articles of artistic excellence.
The marks used by the Denby Pottery are as follows:—
Figs. 110 to 113.
VITREOUS STONE BOTTLE
BOURNE & SON
PATENTEES,
DENBY POTTERY
NEAR DERBY.
BELPER & DENBY
BOURNES,
POTTERY
DERBYSHIRE.
J. BOURNE & SON.
PATENTEES
DENBY POTTERIES
NEAR DERBY.
J. BOURNE & SON.
PATENTEE S
DENBY POTTERY
NEAR DERBY.
But besides these, which, by the way, are only used upon some of the goods, the great bulk being made without any mark at all, there are others which it is not necessary to particularise.