The passing of classicism.—From the first there were those who were classic only by compulsion. Wedgwood was regarded as too classic for vulgar tastes. The cream-ware and the coloured figures display a ready appreciation of public wants. Even Voyez descended to rusticity in his jugs. Spode had a leaning for Oriental subjects in his blue printed ware, which was quickly adopted by Leeds. Adams leaned to landscape subjects after Claude and English scenery. Nor was this all. The cream-ware figures and the mugs and jugs provided full scope for the potter's fancy in political, satirical, patriotic, and humorous and fancy subjects. From Sunderland to Swansea the cream-ware took to itself more homely sentiments and more characteristic design. It became, during the last quarter of the eighteenth century and the first quarter of the nineteenth, as English as if the gods and goddesses had never descended into Staffordshire, and as though Wedgwood had never been.

Most of this cream-ware was transfer-printed, the Caxtons of Staffordshire had found blank spots enough to fill on their white ware, and in filling them they have left us a permanent record of popular feeling which was at the time strong enough to induce them to rush into print on every conceivable subject with queer engraved decoration and whimsically illiterate verse.

Marks.—The following are some of the names, mostly found as impressed marks, on ware of the Wedgwood school, in date from 1760 to 1835, a period of three-quarters of a century. In many cases in addition to ware bearing traces of a classic influence, the potters made cream ware with blue-printed decoration, a style which was not employed at Etruria until the second Wedgwood period, on the death of Josiah Wedgwood in 1795.[4]

The names are arranged alphabetically, and, where of interest, the class of ware associated with the potter is given.

William Adams (of Greengates) 1787–1805 Fine jasper ware of the highest quality. Stoneware and blue-printed ware.
J. Aynsley1790–1826 Silver lustre. Transfer-printed ware. Melon- and barrel-shaped teapots.
Batty & Co. Vases and jugs, classic figures as frieze, printed in under-glaze blue touched with vermilion.
E. J. Birch Black basalt ware of good quality (sometimes marked with E.I.B. impressed).
Bott & Co. Busts painted in colours. Vases transfer-printed.
J. Clementson 1832–1867White ware blue-printed with foreign scenery. (Marked with name and phœnix.)
Clews 1814–1836Stoneware jugs. Blue-printed cream ware. Picturesque views and subjects after Wilkie's pictures, Rowlandson's Dr. Syntax, Don Quixote, &c.
Close & Co. (Successors to W. Adams & Sons, of Stoke.) from 1843Cream ware with printed decoration in brown.
Cookson & Harding C. & H. (late Hackwood.) 1856–1862Cream ware blue transfer-printed.
Davenport (Longport) (Firm continued till 1886.) 1793–1834Cream ware painted and printed. Handles in form of dolphins. Plates and dishes—dragons and fret border printed in blue; ground pencilled in scale pattern.
Eastwood 1802–1830Vases small, jasper, Wedgwood style; stoneware blue and buff. W. Baddeley, of Eastwood, is believed to have used this mark, frequently found.
Hackwood 1842–1856Cream ware painted with knights and armed figures.
Harding 1862–1880Blue glazed earthenware, white ornaments in relief. Brown glazed jugs and teapots in Rockingham style.
Harleyabout 1809Teapots, white glazed stoneware; cover surmounted.
Heath 1770–1777
Heath & Bagnall1777–1785
Heath, Warburton & Co. 1786–
S. Hollins1774–1816Jasper ware, white ground cameo figures in blue.
T. & J. Hollins1802–1820Similar ware to above.
A. & E. Keeling1786–1828Black basalt and cream ware.
Lakin Cream ware blue-printed with English landscape subjects, &c.
Lakin & Poole1770–1846 Dishes and cream ware. Centres often finely painted with exotic birds in Worcester style.
J. & T. Lockett 1786–1829White stoneware and salt-glaze.
E. J. Mayer1770–1813Black basalt tea services, &c., with animals in relief; silver lustre.
E. Mayer & Son1813–1830
Mayer & Newbold1823–1837 Made porcelain as well as earthenware (marked M. & N.).
Mayer & Elliott Cream ware, blue-printed.
F. Meir White glazed earthenware services, English landscapes printed in blue, dishes with pierced border.
Morr & Smith
Moseley1802–1825Black basalt ware; teapots, &c.
Myatt1802–1840Unglazed red ware coffee-pots in Elers style. Engine-turned with wavy patterns. Sometimes marked with an oval enclosing letter W.
H. Palmer 1760–1775Fine jasper ware, granitic vases; figures.
Neale & Palmer1776–1778Jasper ware strongly imitative of Wedgwood.
Neale & Co. 1778–1788 Jasper ware and classic figures.
Phillips (Longport)1760–1830Small dishes; salt cellars, cream ware, Oriental decoration, blue-printed.
Pratt Vases and jugs, white stoneware, with blue figures in relief; border of vine.
Ridgway 1790–1854Various elaborate marks used. W. Ridgway and W. Ridgway & Son. In 1836 the firm became W. Ridgway, Morley, Wear & Co.
Riley
Rogers1786–1829Blue-printed stoneware. Inferior imitations of Wedgwood.
Salt 1820–1864Figures enamelled in colour.
Shorthose1783–1802Black basalt vases and flower jars.
Shorthose & Heath1802–White glazed earthenware, transfer printed in red over-glaze. Subjects—children at play, &c. Cream ware embossed with wicker pattern pierced border. (Mark printed in red, also impressed.)
Sneydabout 1850Imitations of Portland vase, &c.
Josiah Spode (the First) 1770–1797Black basalt ware. Stoneware jugs with sporting subjects in relief.
Steel1780–1824Jasper and ornamental ware, white relief on blue, dark blue figures in relief on pink ground, &c.
W. Stevensonabout 1828White glazed ware, classic figures in relief on pale blue ground; impressed mark W. Stevenson, Hanley.
John Turner (of Lane End) 1739–1786 Fine Jasper ware of excellent quality. Stoneware jugs, &c., of warm biscuit colour unglazed. Black basalt, and under-glaze, blue-printed ware.
Walton 1806–1839Figures-classical Lions, Fishwife, Gardener, &c.
Warburton1751–1828Rarely marked. Mrs. Warburton, of Cobridge, in 1751 made great improvements in cream ware prior to Wedgwood's queen's ware. In 1828 the firm was J. Warburton & Co.
Wilson 1788–1820 Stoneware jugs with classic figures in relief. Ornamental vases in Wedgwood style. Copper lustre ware.
E. Wood 1784–1790 Cream ware, basket pattern, &c. Busts.
Wood & Caldwell1790–1818White glazed earthenware. Figures, coloured busts, &c.
Enoch Wood & Sons1820–1846Figures of classic form.

PRICES.

School of Wedgwood.
Adams.£s.d.
Jug (with old Sheffield plate lid), chocolateband with Bacchanalian subject. Escritt& Barrett, Grantham, April, 1907220
Jug, blue jasper, with figure subjects ofSeasons in white relief, old Sheffieldplate cover. Sotheby, May, 1908 650
Sucrier and Cover, marked "Adams & Co."Sotheby, November, 1908 2140
Turner.
Female figure of a "Water Carrier" in blackbasalt, marked Turner. Sotheby,December, 1905350
Teapot and Cover, blue ground with classicalsubjects in high relief; impressed mark,Turner. Sotheby, November, 1908260
Teapot, of different form, similar decoration,unmarked. Sotheby, November, 1908240
Sucrier and Cover, similar decoration; impressedmark, Turner. Sotheby,November, 1908 3120
Cake Plate with classic decorations inrelief; impressed mark, Turner.Sotheby, November, 1908 4100
Coffee Pot and Cover, similar style; impressedmark, Turner. Sotheby,November, 1908 400
Neale & Palmer.
Vase and Cover with medallions, wreathsand masks in relief, in gilt on mottledgrey-blue ground, marked Neale,Hanley. Puttick & Simpson, Nov., '08 4100
Vase and Cover, urn-shaped, with medallionand figure subject in white relief;ram's head handles, wreaths andborders in gilt on mottled-blue ground,marked H. Palmer, Hanley. Puttick& Simpson, November, 19083100
Ralph Wood.
Figure of Apollo with lyre. Sotheby, May,1908 250
Figures, Boy and Girl Harvesters, squarebases; one marked R. Wood.Sotheby, May, 1908 1050
E. Wood.
Bust of John Wesley, signed Enoch Wood.Sotheby, June, 1906 200
E. Mayer.
Four plaques of Cupids in relief; mark impressed,E. Mayer, and dated 1784.Sotheby, November, 19051180
Heath.
Plate of cream ware, crudely decorated forthe Dutch market, subject—Abrahamoffering up Isaac (Hodgkin Collection).Sotheby, December, 1903030
Lakin.
Dish decorated with border of rose, shamrock,and thistle. Prince of Wales'feathers and lion over crown in centre.Made for the Prince Regent (GeorgeIV.); marked "Lakin." Sotheby,February, 1906 200
Pair of Lakin plates from above service. Sotheby, November, 1907 300
Lakin & Poole.
Mug, with mask head on front, marked"Lakin & Poole," and four shelldishes. Sotheby, June, 1906160