MARKS FOUND ON LATE STAFFORDSHIRE EARTHENWARE.
The first half of the nineteenth century in earthenware included a variety of types: (1) the last output of the classical school; (2) cream ware transfer-printing in under-glaze blue; (3) the school of colourists in imitation of English porcelain.
In the following list a great many names appear of potters not well known nor worthy of more than passing allusion. But their trade marks often puzzle collectors.
| Adams. One of the oldest firms in Staffordshire. | |
| Early mark for cream ware, plain andenamelled, 1770–1790. |
| Mark used for solid jasper ware, 1780–1790. |
| Mark for printed ware, stoneware, andjasper, 1787–1810. |
| Mark used for deep blue-printed ware,1804–1840, so much collected by Americanconnoisseurs. |
| Spode. Josiah Spode the second, whointroduced Derby-Japan patternsinto earthenware. The name is foundimpressed, or printed, or painted incolours on back. At the introduction of ironstonechina other marks were introduced,and they were printed on the ware. Similarly the "new fayence,"another of Spode's improvements,was printed on ware of that character. |
| Other marks, bothimpressed and printed,in the ware are Spode,Son & Copeland, orSpode & Copeland. |
| From 1833 to 1847these, among other trademarks, were used. |
| From 1847 to 1856 thismark was used. |
| The present day mark ofMessrs. W. T. Copeland &Sons. |
| Davenport (1793–1886). These marks are found on the earthenware,stamped or printed, in small lettersin red, and other Davenport marks, suchas that with the anchor and the stonechina design used after 1805, are frequentlypuzzling to collectors, especiallywhen partially obliterated. |
| Minton. Established at Stoke, 1790. In 1800 porcelain was made, and wascontinued throughout the century and atthe present day. | |
| From 1790–1798 blue and white earthenwarein imitation of common Nankin largelymade. In 1798 semi-porcelain was made.Felspar china, similar to Spode and stonechina, in common with other Staffordshirepotters, was largely produced. From 1836–1841the firm was Minton & Boyle, andafterwards Minton and Hollins, and at thepresent day Minton is one of the best-knownEnglish firms. Not many of the early earthenware pieceswere marked, and it is difficult to distinguishMinton's firm from some of the fineblue-printed ware of Adams and of Mason. |
| This B B mark appears on all stonechina of Minton from 1845–1861, signifyingBest Body. The name Minton was not stamped norimpressed on the ware till after 1861. About 1823 the Amherst Japan patternwas made, and has a printed mark in ascroll. It is frankly imitative of Spodeand the Derby-Japan style |
| A rhomboidal mark with the letter R,sometimes "Rd," signifying that the designis "Registered," and having M & Co, isnot confined to Mintons, as other pottersused the same mark with their names orinitials underneath. It is quite late and onware not likely to appeal to the collector. |
| Mason. | |
| The marks of Mason are found, after1813, either impressed in a straight line orhaving the mark under a crown and inscroll, on his celebrated ironstone chinaprinted in blue. |
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| His semi-porcelain or Cambrian-argilbears the name on the ware, and wasintended to compete with Swansea. An illustration of the mark on stonechina, marked "Fenton Stone Works,C J M & Co," is given on page 451. |
| It should be mentioned that the blue-printedmark with a crown and scroll doesnot necessarily mean that the ware(especially in the hexagonal set of jugs)is old. It is still used at the present dayby Messrs. Ashworth, who are reproducingsome of the old and favourite patterns.Collectors are advised to buy one of thesejugs as a model to compare it with theolder work. |
| The mark of Pindar, Bourne & Co., ofBurslem, who made red terra cotta spill vasesdecorated in colours and gold with arabesquedesigns, about 1835. In 1880 the factorypassed into the hands of Messrs. Doulton. |
| Mark of Dale Hall Pottery, John Rogers& Son, 1815–1842. Notable for light blueprinted "Willow" and "Broseley Dragon"series. |
| J. Edwards & Son, Dale Hall, 1842–1882. |
| W. Brownfield & Son (Cobridge) 1808–1819. Bucknall & Stevenson and A. Stevensonalone during part of above period. James Clews, 1819–1829. His markwas a crown above his name. Robinson, Wood & Brownfield, 1836. Wood & Brownfield, 1836–1850. W.Brownfield, 1850–1870. W. Brownfield& Sons, 1871 to present day. China hasbeen made since 1871. We append some of the marks of thisfirm, including the Staffordshire knot,which has been used by other Staffordshirepotters. |
| Ridgway, founded in 1794.> J. & W. Ridgway and Ridgway & Sons,1814–1854. Many of these marks have puzzled collectors,as only the initials are used inmany cases. The firm subsequently became T. C.Brown-Westhead, Moore & Co., and hashad a distinguished career in the ceramicworld, gaining honours at the variousinternational exhibitions. (See Table [p. 349]). |
| These marks are found impressed inware of Messrs. Powell & Bishop, 1865–1878,of Hanley. They are often confusedwith Pindar, Bourne & Co., when onlyinitials are used. |
| Another form is a Caduceus, the emblemof Mercury, impressed in the ware andsometimes printed. (Messrs. Powell & Bishop.) |
| A seated figure is another trade markwhich has given rise to a good deal ofspeculation among tyros in collecting. (Messrs. Powell & Bishop.) |
| Heathcote & Co. is a mark found inearly nineteenth century ware. The blue-printedearthenware was of a fine quality. |
| Late Nineteenth Century Earthenware. The three marks of the LancastrianPottery, the Ruskin Pottery, WestSmethwick, and of the earthenware ofMr. William De Morgan, are knownto connoisseurs of what is great in latter-dayEnglish earthenware, and they aregiven here for the information of collectorswho may be interested. |
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