St. Mary’s Works, Mount Pleasant.—This manufactory was carried on from 1830 till 1852 by Messrs. Moore & Hamilton, and so continued until 1859, when Mr. Samuel Moore became sole owner. In 1862 he built the present manufactory, and in 1870 was succeeded by his two sons, Bernard and Samuel Moore, who from that time have carried on the business under the style of “Moore Brothers.” The productions have, from the first, been china of a good marketable quality, in which all the usual breakfast, tea, dinner, dessert, déjeuner, and other services, more or less decorated, are made; but in addition to this, attention has been given with marked success to the development of the strictly ornamental departments. A camel teapot—the Arab tying on the bale forming an excellent handle, and the neck and head of the camel an admirable spout—is a well-conceived design, and is powerfully and cleverly modelled. For table decoration, the firm produces many good designs. Notably among these is a group of three well-modelled Cupids (two of whom are carrying the third), the upper one of which bears a turquoise shell, massively gilt inside. It is of very artistic design, and is well executed. The Persian turquoise glaze made by the firm is remarkably clear and brilliant in colour and not surpassed by other houses. In enamelling, Messrs. Moore Brothers have made much progress, some of their designs in cloissonné enamelling being highly effective, both in form of vessel and in arrangement of colour. Notably among these are “pilgrims’ bottles,” the rich and massive gilding of which throws out and relieves the enamelling in a very marked and effective manner. In china, and also in majolica, Japanese reproductions are made; in these the well-known Chinese ruby glaze has been cleverly imitated; it is rich and full in colour. A turquoise majolica jardinière, the design being water-lilies, is well designed. Mirror frames of large size are also a speciality of these works. Messrs. Moore Brothers’ operations are principally confined to the home markets, a large proportion of their goods bearing the name of the dealers, “T. Goode & Co., London.” The mark of the makers is either the name “MOORE” or “Moore,” impressed on the body of the ware; “Moore,” incised; or “MOORE BROS.,” painted on the surface.
Commerce Street.—The works, now carried on by Mr. Thomas Walters (late Walters & Hulse), were, he informs me, established by Messrs. Riddle & Lightfoot. The productions are china of ordinary quality for both home and export markets.
New Town Pottery.—Erected in 1845 by Mr. J. Meakin, who continued it until 1850, when it passed to Messrs. Stanley & Lambert, who in 1855 were succeeded by Messrs. J. & H. Procter & Co., who produced common earthenware in the usual cream colour, printed, painted, and lustred varieties; the mark was a crown upon a ribbon, bearing the word WARRANTED; over the crown STAFFORDSHIRE, and beneath the ribbon P for Procter. In 1876 the works passed into the hands of Messrs. Dale, Page, & Goodwin, of the Church Street Works, and are carried on by them. The Church Street Works were established in the latter half of last century, and in 1780 were carried on by Mr. John Forrester, who was succeeded, in 1795, by Messrs. Hilditch & Sons, who in their productions followed closely in the wake of Josiah Spode and Thomas Minton; at which time most of the processes here were carried out by female hands. In 1830 the firm changed to that of “Hilditch & Hopwood,” who, at the Exhibition of 1851, sent up some notable examples of their productions, one of which was a dessert service decorated in the Renaissance style in gold, with landscape and figure vignettes, mainly illustrative of Scott’s “Marmion;” and they also exhibited some very successful imitations of Indian china, prepared by them from designs by Mr. Shorter, of London. The tea services exhibited at the same time were remarkable for their excellent body, the design and execution of the painted decoration, the high class of the ground colours, and the massiveness of the gilding. One example, with raised antique foliage in gold on the fine old “Derby blue” ground, was especially good; while the painting of others, with small landscapes in medallions, and wreaths of flowers, was far beyond average merit. In 1858, on the death of Mr. William Hopwood, the works were continued by the trustees till May, 1867, when the business, stock, and plant, including the moulds, copper-plates, &c., were sold to the present firm of Dale, Page, & Co., who, as just stated, in 1876 removed to the larger premises called New Town Works. The productions of the firm consist of all the usual services in china, and are of a better class than those of many other houses. In tea and breakfast services the firm is particularly successful in designs where leaves, accurately copied from nature, are carelessly thrown on grounds of various tints; the green ground, with geranium leaves, being especially pleasing. Others with wreaths of roses on the same ground, and others again closely diapered with burnished gold, are among their more successful patterns. Others of their productions are dessert services with fruit, flowers, and landscapes, and with richly designed festoons, borders, and gilding; dinner services; richly gilt and enamelled jet ware, &c.
Borough Pottery.—These extensive works were established in 1869 by Messrs. Cartwright & Edwards. They are very extensive, and are built as a “model factory” of the present day. The ovens are built on the down-draught system; the smoke is conveyed to large chimneys (one 50 yards, and the other 26 yards, high), and the enamel and other kilns all work in the same chimneys. The clay is prepared by machinery—both the blunging, sifting, and other processes—and the water is taken out by pressure (a process now generally adopted), so that fuel is entirely dispensed with except at the engine. All the throwing-wheels and jiggers are turned by steam power, and the workshops are fitted with steam drying stoves, so that no fires whatever are used in drying the goods. The goods produced are the ordinary classes of earthenware.
High Street.—Messrs. Thomas Birks & Co. manufacture china, earthenware, and gold and silver lustre of the more ordinary qualities.