Fig. 655.
In 1852 Mr. Lewis Llewellyn Dillwyn retired from the concern, and it then passed into the hands of Mr. Evans, who carried it on, under the firm of “Evans, Glasson, & Evans,” until 1859, when, for a time, the style was altered to “Evans & Co.,” and, subsequently, to “D. J. Evans & Co.” (son of the Mr. Evans just alluded to), by whom it is at the present time carried on. The manufacture consisted of the ordinary classes of white, blue and white, and agate earthenware; the markets being principally Wales, Ireland, West of England, and Chili. No trade-mark is used.
About the end of 1869 earthenware was rather suddenly discontinued being made at the Cambrian Pottery, and the bulk of the workpeople discharged, a portion only being retained till the ware made was printed and finished by passing through the kilns. The site of the Cambrian Pottery, adjacent to the Swansea Canal and the North Dock, having become more valuable for other commercial purposes than for a pottery, an arrangement was made by Mr. Dillwyn with Messrs. D. J. Evans & Co. to surrender the short unexpired term of their lease, so that as soon as the stock and plant could be cleared off, the buildings might be taken down or converted to other uses. The whole site was let to Messrs. Cory, Yeo, & Co., who held an adjoining wharf, and about June, 1870, they commenced clearing space for erecting their new Patent Fuel Works, and cutting a branch from the canal across the site to near the North Dock. The “Patent Fuel Works” was quickly erected (in part from the old pottery materials at hand), about the centre of the site, the kilns, workshops, and warehouses taken down (except one or two buildings and sheds on the west side, converted), so that scarcely a vestige of what was properly called the working part of the Cambrian pottery now remains. At the close of the works the copper-plates were sold to the South Wales Pottery, Llanelly.
Among the artists at one time or other employed at Swansea, besides Young, of whom I have already spoken, it may be interesting to note the following: Pardoe, who was an excellent flower-painter (afterwards of the Nantgarw Works); Baxter, a clever figure painter, who came to these works from Worcester, to which place he afterwards returned;[58] Bevington, a flower-painter, also from Worcester; Reed, a modeller of considerable repute; Hood, also a clever modeller; Jenny, a tracer in gold; Morris, a fruit-painter; Colclough, who was much admired as a painter of birds; Evans, who was a talented flower-painter; and Beddoes, who was the best heraldic painter; to these, of course, must be added Billingsley, who was the best flower-painter of the day, or since.
The principal marks used at these works appear to have been the following:—
Fig. 656.
This occurs on a beautiful dark mottled blue oviform earthenware vase (formerly in the collection of Mr. S. C. Hall), having on one side an exquisitely painted group of passion-flowers, roses, &c. The mark is painted on the bottom, and is, I believe, unique. In Mr. Hall’s collection, besides this splendid example of “Cambrian” ware, were an oviform vase and cover, having a yellow ground, with blue borders and handles, and brown scrolls at top; a flower vase on a tripod stand, blue ground with a white border, painted with acanthus scroll, and on the cover a bouquet of flowers in relief; a pair of cup-shaped vases, with blue ground, black borders, and white classical figures at the top; and a lamp, the handle in form of a female holding a pitcher, the lamp resting on a pedestal and triangular foot.
Another mark occasionally met with has the words “Cambrian Pottery” in writing letters, and another has the same words but in capital letters.
Cambrian Pottery.