The Jackfield Pottery was one of the oldest in Shropshire, and is believed to have been worked for centuries. The potters had, at different times, probably from being expert hands, migrated into Staffordshire; and I am informed that, as early as 1560, several entries occur in the parish registers of Stoke-upon-Trent of people (potters, of course) as “from Jackfield.” A few years ago a coal-pit at Jackfield, which was known not to have been entered for nearly two centuries, was opened, and in it was found a small mug of brown earthenware, bearing the date 1634. The works were, probably not long after this period, carried on by a person of the name of Glover, who used the old salt glaze for his ware. He was succeeded by Mr. John Thursfield, son of Mr. John Thursfield of Stoke-upon-Trent, about the year 1713. This John Thursfield had married a daughter of Captain Webb, who had been in the wars under Marlborough and Prince Eugene, and had, while in the Low Countries, married a Dutch lady. In 1729 John Thursfield married a lady named Eleanor Morris, of Ferney Bank, who is curiously described in the Broseley register as a “sojoinner.” He died in 1751, leaving two sons—John, who built the works at Benthall; and Morris, who succeeded his father at Jackfield. The kind of ware made at Jackfield was a white stoneware, very similar to the Staffordshire make, and on some examples flowers and other ornaments were incised and coloured, that is, the outlines were cut in while the clay was soft, and the flowers and other ornaments touched afterwards with colour. Tiles of the kind usually known as “Dutch tiles” were also made. In 1763 Mr. Simpson carried on the pottery at Jackfield, and made yellow ware, and a ware the body of which was pipeclay and glazed with salt. This he sent down the Severn to the Bristol Channel for export to America—a trade which the American war of independence put an end to. Maurice Thursfield made at Jackfield a very superior black ware, highly vitrified and glazed; indeed, so highly glazed was it that it had all the outward appearance of glass. The forms, and the potting of these articles, locally known as “black decanters,” were remarkably good, and on some specimens which I have seen ornaments have been judiciously introduced. On one, in the possession of the late Richard Thursfield, Esq., of Broseley, a head and wreath are executed in gold and colour; and on others, paintings in oils, both portraits and views, and raised ornaments, are introduced. Some good examples are preserved in the Museum of Practical Geology. Maurice Thursfield died in America, where he had, it appears, considerable business connections.
In these works Mr. Rose, in conjunction with a Mr. Blakeway, soon after the death of Maurice Thursfield, began making china. The works were not, however, carried on long, but were removed to Coalport, on the opposite side of the Severn, where they were begun in some buildings which had formerly been a pottery (I believe belonging to a Mr. Young, a mercer of Shrewsbury), and where they have continued uninterruptedly to the present day.
In the early part of this century a pottery—spoken of in 1836 as the “new pottery”—was established here by Mr. John Myatt, for brown and yellow stone-wares. Here, too, at the same time, near the Calcuts, extensive brick and tile-works were then and still are carried on.
Jackfield Encaustic Tiles.—Many years ago Mr. Peter Stephan (still at this date a modeller at Coalport), son of Stephan the potter, who was a Frenchman, and at one time at Derby and afterwards of Jackfield, where he had a small pottery, produced some strikingly good arabesque patterns in blue printing. His mark was an anchor with cable, impressed in the body of the ware; and also the crest of an anchor on an heraldic roll, with his name above (see Figs. [683 and 684]), and printed in blue on the bottom of the ware. His pieces are of rare occurrence. He also made encaustic tiles. These were the first made in this district.
Figs. 683 and 684.
Fig. 685.—The Jackfield Works.