The works were established about 1830, by Mr. Peter Wager Williams, upon the site of what evidently had been very old pot works, but of which no record appears to exist. At first there were during Mr. P. W. Williams’s lifetime two distinct manufactories. One of these was next worked by his eldest son, Mr. John Williams, who sold it to his three brothers, Peter, Charles, and James, by whom it was carried on under the style of “Caroline Williams.” It passed by purchase into the hands of Mr. J. Rawlins, and was taken by “Messrs. Broadbent and Stanley Brothers,” by whom it was considerably extended. The other manufactory was carried on by Mr. Walter Handley, at whose death it passed to his son-in-law, Mr. David Wheway, at whose decease it was incorporated with the former one, and carried on jointly with it, by Messrs. Broadbent and Stanley Brothers. In 1871 Mr. Broadbent retired from the concern, and it is now carried on by Messrs. Stanley Brothers. The goods produced are terra-cotta vases, chimney-tops, &c.; coloured paving-tiles for geometric designs; garden-edging, ornamental ridging and all kinds of plain building and ornamental bricks; glazed sanitary and other pipes, &c. The firm has recently patented a process for the manufacture of malt kiln tiles, for which they have invented new machinery. They are made of the finest fire-clay, and are of very superior character to any others. The marls in this neighbourhood, from which these various goods are made, are varied, and on the ground worked by this firm alone about twenty different measures occur, and these are of divers colours and qualities. The works occupy nearly ten acres of ground.
Broxbourne.
In 1843, when terra-cotta was but little known, Mr. Pulham turned his attention to it, made numerous experiments in order to bring about its revival, and succeeded in making it both of a good hard stone colour and of a rich pale red. Having done this, he began to produce various small objects for architectural purposes—bosses, angle quoins, brackets, balustrades, small flower-pots, and vases—which remain at the present day as sharp and good as when they left the kiln. He also, about this time, introduced what is termed granulated terra-cotta, having the appearance of stone. Latterly this imitation has fallen into disrepute, and wisely so, for although where terra-cotta is now used it is adopted instead of stone, yet it is not used to imitate stone, but passes for what it is,—bona fide terra-cotta. For architectural purposes, it is still, in some instances, granulated.
Fig. 819.
Mr. Pulham exhibited specimens of his work at the Exhibition of 1851. Notably amongst them was a handsome Gothic vase in rich pale red, highly enriched; this was placed upon a suitable pedestal of cream-colour terra-cotta. From that time down to the next Exhibition, in 1862, improvements were constantly being made, both in the manipulation, production, and style of the manufacture. Mr. Pulham aimed more at the quality than quantity made; and it is said that he still carries out the rule he laid down, not to extend his business, but to keep it so that it is not too large to be under his own personal supervision. Mr. Pulham exhibited in 1862, among other things, a large Fountain for a gentleman’s grounds near Tunbridge Wells, many features of which, particularly the life-size figure of Hebe which surmounts it, and which is a perfection in burning, were very successful.
Fig. 820.
