Fig. 259.—Dish.
Lane Delph (now Middle Fenton). Miles Mason of Lane Delph early in the last century produced some fine ware. The ironstone china was brought to great perfection by Charles James Mason, and the forms were of a high quality, very much resembling porcelain.
Fig. 260.—Cup, Cover, and Saucer.
Stoke-on-Trent. Thomas Minton established a manufactory at Stoke-upon-Trent in 1791; he was apprenticed to Turner of Caughley as an engraver. His productions were of the useful kind, viz., services for the table, in imitation of common nankin. He died in 1836, and was succeeded by his second son, the celebrated Herbert Minton, who brought the potter’s art to great perfection. He largely increased the business, and manufactured articles in earthenware, hard and soft porcelain, and parian. Reproductions of Italian maiolica, Delia Robbia, Palissy, and Henri II. ware were also extensively made by him. He died in 1858, and was succeeded by Michael Daintry Hollins and Colin Minton Campbell, his nephew and heir. The founder’s grandsons afterwards succeeded to the business; the firm of Messrs. Minton & Co. still exists, but there are no members of the family now connected with it.
Fig. 261.—Mug.
Liverpool. Early in the 18th century, and probably much before that, Liverpool was noted for the manufacture of pottery. Little is known of its early history, and it was not until Mr. Jos. Mayer rescued from oblivion many interesting particulars that anything like a succinct account was published. In his interesting notice of the Art of Pottery in Liverpool, we learn that the most celebrated of the early potters was Alderman Thomas Shaw, who had works for making pottery in the beginning of the 18th century; several large plaques and monumental slabs of his make are in existence, dated from 1716 to 1756. About this time, there seems to have been a large demand for punch bowls; as these formed the principal ornaments on the sideboards of the middle classes, and especially on board the ships, which were constantly going and coming in the port, considerable pains were taken in decorating them, and many are still in existence painted with ships, convivial mottoes, and inscriptions.
Another important establishment was founded by Mr. John Sadler, the son of a painter, who had learnt the art of engraving.