Chadwick Street.—Messrs. Frederick Jones & Co. manufacture earthenware of the more ordinary class.
High Street.—Mr. J. L. Johnson produces all the usual services, &c. in the commoner classes of china.
Baddeley.—About 1720 William Baddeley (an old name in the district) commenced making brown ware at Eastwood, Hanley. About 1740, having invented an “engine-lathe,” he began to make “turned articles in cane and brown ware. He was succeeded in the pottery by his son, William Baddeley; his other son, John Baddeley, taking the business of the lathe making, by which he acquired a competency, and died in 1841, aged eighty-five.” This second William Baddeley made many improvements in the ware, and attempted, both by an imitation of body of his vitreous wares, and by his mark, to palm off some of his goods as Wedgwood’s. His mark was the word EASTWOOD impressed on the ware, but he contrived always to have the EAST indistinct and the WOOD clear
thus hoping to catch the unwary by the latter syllable. He died at an advanced age, and the works at Eastwood having been sold, his son, William Baddeley, commenced in Queen Street, Hanley, for the manufacture of terra-cotta articles, and a large trade was carried on in earthenware knobs for tin and japanned tea and coffee-pots. He also made fancy pipes, japanned terra cotta, and other goods. He also, at the Market Lane Works, “was the first to make telegraph insulators in iron moulds with screw and lever pressure.” The works were in 1846 removed to Longton (Wharf Street), and here the manufacture of imitation stag, buck, and buffalo-horn, and bone handles for knives, forks, &c., for the Sheffield trade, was first introduced. In this branch “a very good trade was done, but the working handlers of Sheffield refused to work them up, and threats were sent to several masters, that if they did not give up the terra-cotta knife-handle trade, their works would be blown up.” The masters, thus intimidated, gave up the use of these handles, and on Mr. Baddeley visiting Sheffield, an attack was made on his life, and letters sent to him on his return threatening that if he did not give up making the handles, he and his works “would be done for.” The manufacture was then discontinued. Mr. Baddeley “invented the thimble placing rack, now so extensively used; this he sold to Elias Leak, of Longton, who, in 1856, took out a patent for the invention.” Mr. Baddeley, who died in 1864, held the St. Martin’s Lane Works, and his widow now carries on business in Commerce Street. Their son, William Baddeley, commenced manufacturing in the Normacott Road, in 1862. His productions were rustic terra-cotta articles for floral, horticultural, useful, and decorative purposes; the principal articles being fern-stands, vases, flower-stands, hyacinth-pots, flower-pots, garden-seats, flower-baskets, mignonette-boxes, crocus-pots, globe-stands, brackets, inkstands, &c. The designs were all taken from nature, and appropriate to the intended use of the vessel. His imitations of bark, &c., and of various woods and plants, were remarkably good.
Waterloo Works, Stafford Street. (Brough & Blackhurst).—Built in 1815, the year of the Battle of Waterloo, and in honour of that event named the “Waterloo” Works. The date 1815 occurs on one of the ovens. The manufactory formerly belonged to Messrs. Ratkin & Booth, who were so justly celebrated for their gold and silver lustre wares. At these works, which are large and commodious, are produced the ordinary classes of earthenware suitable both for the home and for foreign markets, enamelled and gilt services, &c.