Shelley

Shelley Potteries started life as Wileman & Co when, in 1862, Joseph Ball Shelley was taken into partnership with the firm of Henry Wileman at the Foley China Works, Fenton, Staffs. Over the years, Wileman & Co was a melting pot for many important designers such as Micklewright, Rowland Morris, Frederick Rhead and Walter Slater.

In 1860 when the Wileman family, owners of the Foley works, a large pottery between Longton and Fenton in Staffordshire, England, built a second pottery for the purpose of producing fine china.

James B. Shelley left the Dresden works and joined Henry Wileman and his sons as a traveller. In 1864, Henry Wileman died and his two sons Charles and James split the two works with James running the earthenware works and Charles the china works. In 1870, James died and in 1872, Charles took James Shelley in partnership to run the china works.

 Shelley focused on getting the best china product possible out of the company and staff. He worked on improving china quality and building the foreign export part of the business. James took his son Percy into the firm in 1881. Percy was to run the company for some 50 years. Percy learned the business fast and set off to find top pottery artists and litho designers to improve the appearance and quality of its wares. In 1896, attention was directed to English and foreign sales and after the death of Joseph, Percy Shelley was in full control.

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.