Harrison.—George Harrison was an earthenware manufacturer in the latter part of last century. His productions, according to an invoice of August 20, 1793, consisted of “large and less tureens,” “sauce tureens,” “root dishes,” “sallad bowls,” and “tureen ladles,” blue edged; and cream-coloured “ewers.”
Martin.—Anne Martin (I presume, widow of S. Martin), was a manufacturer at Lane Delph in 1793. Her productions, as appears from invoices of hers of that year in my possession, were “variegated jugs” of different sizes, “blue-gray mugs and jugs,” “hand-basins,” different sizes, “egg cups,” “pattie pans,” “cups and saucers,” (these were 10d. a dozen!) “sauce boats,” “bottles,” “bowls,” “cowlerd toys,” “hand bowls,” “dipd bosed jugs,” “sallad bowls,” “flower pots,” “stoole pans,” “blue painted mugs and jugs,” “pickel jars,” “table services,” &c.
Miles Mason was a manufacturer in the latter part of last century. An invoice of his of 1797 enumerates blue dessert ware sets, each consisting of “1 centre piece, 4 shells, 2 hearts, 2 cucum. tureens, dishes & stands, and 24 desert plates;” “melon shapes,” “squares,” oval and round baking dishes, oval and square salad dishes, “Nankeen spitting pots,” basins and egg cups. Miles Mason was the father of George Miles Mason, Charles James Mason, of “Ironstone china” celebrity (see page [408]), and William Mason. The family of Mason was originally of Westmoreland, where they were tenants of Sir Michael Freeman, of Rydal Hall. One of the sons went to London and established a shop for the sale of East India china. He afterwards, I am informed, opened a manufactory at Liverpool. He then bought land at Fenton from the Bagnall family, on which he erected the works now occupied by Mrs. Green, and called the “Minerva Works,” at Fenton. Afterwards he and his brother built the “Fenton Pottery” (which see), and after some reverses removed from it to a much smaller and less pretentious manufactory, the “Daisy Bank Works” (which also see). Miles Mason’s marks were—
MILES MASON. Miles Mason. M. Mason.
M. MASON.
Whieldon.—Thomas Whieldon, whose name is more intimately mixed up with the early development of the potter’s art than that of almost any other man, was a manufacturer at Little Fenton in the middle of last century. Spode, Astbury, Garner, Greatbach, Heath, Edge, Marsh, and many others, were his apprentices or employés, and Josiah Wedgwood, when quite a young man, and Harrison, were his partners, while his mottled and other wares were of high character. In 1740 Whieldon’s works consisted of a small range of low thatched buildings. “His early productions were knife-hafts for the Sheffield cutlers, and snuff-boxes for the Birmingham hardwaremen to finish with hoops, hinges, and springs, which himself usually carried in a basket to the tradesmen, and, being much like agate, they were greatly in request. He also made toys and chimney ornaments, coloured in either the clay state or biscuit by zaffre, manganese, copper, &c., and glazed with black, red, or white lead. He also made black glazed tea and coffee-pots, tortoiseshell and melon table plates (with ornamented edge and six scollops, as in the specimens kept by Andrew Boon, of the Honeywall, Stoke), and other useful articles. Mr. A. Wood made models and moulds of these articles; also pickle leaves, crab-stock handles, and cabbage-leave spouts for tea and coffee-pots, which utensils, with candlesticks, chocolate-cups, and tea-ware, were much improved, and his connections extended subsequently, when Mr. J. Wedgwood became Whieldon’s managing partner. He was a shrewd and careful person. To prevent his productions being imitated in quality or shape, he always buried the broken articles, and a few months ago we witnessed the unexpected exposure of some of these, by some miners attempting to get marl in the road at Little Fenton. The fortune he acquired by his industry enabled him to erect a very elegant mansion near Stoke, where he long enjoyed, in the bosom of his family, the fruits of his early economy. He was also sheriff of the county in the twenty-sixth year of the late reign. The benevolence of his disposition, and his integrity, are honourable traits of character, far superior to the boast of ancestry without personal merit. Mr. Whieldon lived, I am informed by Mr. John Ward, in a large house near the lower part of Fenton, called Whieldon’s Grove; the line of railway passes through the grounds, and a part of the house is used by the railway company as a store. He died in 1798 at a very old age, and in 1828 his relict was interred beside him in Stoke churchyard.
In 1749, Thomas Whieldon built an addition to his works, and the account of the “Expenses of the new end & Seller of the Over Work-house” are in my own possession.