Gladstone

The origin of the pottery known as the Gladstone Works dates right back to the birth of the pottery industry as we know it today. At the end of the 18th century Longton was the next largest pottery  town after Burslem, and the future growth of Longton was made possible by the sale of the Longton Manor estate in the 1780s, which enabled the Burslem potters, and others, to buy land at a time when there was a shortage of developable land in the Burslem area.

Among the purchasers of the Longton lands were the Shelleys, a local family who had become well known for their potting skills. By 1787 they had established a large and thriving manufacturing concern on a site to the south of Lane End, adjoining the recently turnpiked road to Uttoxeter. It is on part of this site that the Gladstone Pottery Museum now stands. Here the Shelleys produced their own earthenware, and also decorated plates and dishes manufactured by Josiah Wedgwood at Etruria. Two of the family, Thomas and Michael, were to achieve considerable prestige as manufacturers; yet by 1789 their business had failed, and they were declared bankrupt and forced to sell their factory. The purchaser was William Ward and he paid £900 for the site.

George Proctor & Co Ltd

Manufacturers of bone china tablewares at Longton

c.1891-64

Works operated here pre 1891 - it was in March 1960 that the ovens last fired; but decorating and then only despatch departments were active until May 1970

GEORGE PROCTER & CO (LTD), Gladstone Pottery, High Street, Longton.
1891 - 1940. 

GLADSTONE CHINA (LONGTON) LTD, High Street, Longton.
1939 - 1952. 

GLADSTONE CHINA. Uttoxeter Road (High Street changed its name), Longton .
1952 - 1967. 

History of Pottery

History of Pottery  Part 1

It is amazing that the oldest known body of pottery dates back 10,000 years, during the Neolithic revolution. Then lifestyles in the Middle East and Africa were transitioning from nomadic hunters and gatherers to farmers who put down roots and planted crops. Although baskets were useful handicrafts used for gathering, they couldn't hold liquids. This was also long before hoses or irrigation systems were in the picture, and farmers needed to be able to water their crops.  It was essential to find a material that was readily available and inexpensive, pliable enough to shape and light enough to carry. Clay  was an abundant resource in the region and fit the bill perfectly. Early pots were built by stacking rings of clay, which were then smoothed out and fired in a hole in the ground, under a bonfire. These pots were undecorated and expendable -- they were created simply as a means to transport liquids, and sometimes were only used once they were being disposed of.