Bath Street Works.—These works were established in 1849 by the late Mr. Thomas Twyford (father of the present proprietor), who was a lineal descendant of the famous old seventeenth century potter, Twyford, who with Astbury wormed out the secret of the Elers, as detailed in vol. i. page 101. The operations of the firm are confined to sanitary and plumbers’ ware, and wine and spirit show barrels. In the former of these departments, Messrs. Twyford, as well as being among the oldest, are the largest producers in the locality, and their wares rank high for form, workmanship, and quality. The principal goods produced are plug-basins, drinking-fountains of excellent design, closet and bath fittings, cabinet stands, &c. These are made in every variety of shape, and of the most approved construction. The barrels, as usual, are more or less painted and gilt. The mark of the firm is the Staffordshire knot enclosing the letters T T (Thomas Twyford), with H (Hanley) beneath. Besides the home trade, Messrs. Twyford export very largely to America, Australia, Russia, France, Germany, Spain, and other countries. The same firm has a manufactory at Buckland for the manufacture of cane and white sanitary ware.
Waterloo Works, Nelson Place.—These are old-established works, and have, with others, been occupied by Mr. W. Stubbs, Thomas Booth and Son, Holmes and Plant, and their present proprietors, Messrs. Pugh and Glover. The ordinary classes of earthenware in toilet and other services, painted, enamelled, and grounded; stoneware jugs, tea-pots, &c.; and other wares, are largely made, and of all the usual classes of decoration, both for home and foreign markets.
New Street Pottery.—These works were established in 1873 by the present proprietors, Messrs. Edward Banks and Thomas Thorley. Their productions are majolica, terra cotta, jet, and stone wares, and these they produce for both home and foreign markets. In terra cotta, water-bottles of porous body, unglazed, of elegant forms and of a more or less highly decorated character, with stoppers and stands; alcorazzas; water goblets; Malaga jars; tobacco jars, &c, are made in great variety. These porous goods are of three distinct kinds, a clear full red, a buff, and a purplish white. They are printed, painted, enamelled, and gilt in encircling borders, wreaths, &c.; in groups of flowers and ferns; or in Japanese figure subjects, and are of excellent shape and workmanship.
In majolica, cheese stands, bread trays, dessert services, jugs, egg-holders, jardinières, flower-pots, tea-pots, ladies’ work-baskets, water-bottles, and an infinite variety of ornamental articles are made. Many of these are of a high degree of merit in design, and their production is faultlessly good. Notably among the dessert services in majolica is one with a rich chocolate-coloured ground, which throws out, with a strikingly beautiful and rich effect, a naturally arranged group of ivy, ferns, and anemones, which are slightly embossed, and are coloured true to nature; this is surrounded by an embossed “key” border and white enamel edge, and the handles are in keeping with the ornamentation. Another striking design in majolica is a jug. The ground of this is chocolate, and upon it are panels of rope in buff, enclosing thistle-leaves in green. The whole design, including the twisted rope handle, is novel and pleasing. Besides these, green glaze dessert services, and a large variety of other articles, both useful and ornamental, are made. The firm use no mark.
Castle Field Pottery.—These works were formerly carried on by Mr. Ball for the manufacture of ornamental bricks. Mr. Ball “distinguished himself as the first to bring out hollow and glazed bricks, and these he made for Prince Albert’s Model Cottages. They were from his works at Poole, in Dorsetshire, and matured here at Etruria.” In 1860 Messrs. Davenport & Banks established themselves at these works, and commenced the manufacture of fancy goods of various kinds, which they successfully carried on until 1873, when Mr. Banks retired, and was succeeded by Mr. Beck,—the firm now being “Davenport, Beck & Co.” The principal productions of the Castle Field Works are fancy antique goods, in which numberless articles are made; majolica in all its varieties; porous goods; terra-cotta water-bottles, &c.; jet ware; and the ordinary classes in which dinner, tea, dessert, toilet, trinket, and other services are made, both for home and foreign markets. The mark used is a castle, and the letters “D. B. & CO. ETRURIA” within an oval garter, bearing the words TRADE MARK.