Blue Jasper Ware

  Jasper is white in its natural state and is stained with metallic oxide colouring agents. The most common shade is pale blue, but dark blue, lilac, sage green, black, and yellow were also used. The earliest jasper was stained throughout and was known as "solid," whereas the later varieties were coloured only on the surface and were known as "dip."
 Decorations, in the Neoclassical style and usually white, were made in separate moulds and applied to the body of the piece. Objects made of jasper were varied and included vases, plaques, tableware, cameos, furniture mounts, and portrait medallions.

Wedgwood

Josiah Wedgwood began pottery manufacture in his own right in 1759, renting the Ivy House Works, Burslem from his cousins John and Thomas Wedgwood. The Brick House (subsequently named the Bell Works) was leased in 1764 and in 1766 Wedgwood acquired the Ridge House estate of 350 acres where he constructed the Etruria Works opened in 1769.

‘Etruria’ included a modern factory intended for ornamental wares, houses for Wedgwood and his partner in the venture, Thomas Bentley, and housing for the workers employed at the Manufactury. Wedgwood had met Bentley, a Liverpool merchant, in 1762 and at Wedgwood’s urging Bentley became a partner in the Etruria venture intended to manufacture ornamental wares. Bentley also managed the Wedgwood London showrooms from about 1769 until his death in 1780.

Josiah Wedgwood’s sons John, Thomas and Josiah II (and nephew Thomas Byerley) were admitted to the partnership in 1790, and on Wedgwood’s death in 1795, management of the business passed to the remaining partners Josiah II and Thomas Byerley (John and Thomas Wedgwood left the partnership in 1793). In 1895 the business was incorporated as a private company, ‘Josiah Wedgwood and Sons Ltd’. The Barlaston Hall estate was purchased in 1937 and construction of a new factory and village commenced in 1938. Construction was halted by the war, but resumed in 1945 and the factory commenced full production in 1950. It remained the company’s major manufacturing base in the United Kingdom until 2008. Etruria, home of the Wedgwood businesses for 180 years was demolished in 1966.

Josiah Wedgwood & Sons Ltd became a public company in July 1940 as part of a restructure of the company’s share capital to fund the completion of the Barlaston factory. The capital raising of £350,000 in new one pound shares was subscribed by the existing family shareholders numbering approximately 150 and control of the company remained firmly in the hands of the Wedgwood family.

Wedgwood Formal Gold 

Discontinued pattern 1977 to 1987

Royal Stafford

Royal Stafford was formed in 1992 with the combination of two famous pottery factories, Royal Stafford China and Barrats of Staffordshire. Royal Stafford was founded in 1845 in the town of Longton by Thomas Poole. The Royal Overhouse Manufactory, home of the Barrats of Staffs is one of the oldest factories in Burslem and belonged for two centuries to the Wedgewood family.

This pottery mark shows the date when Royal Stafford was originally founded.

The pattern on this teacup is bouquet and  is incredibly similar to my all time favourite - Royal Albert Old Country Roses.

Sugar bowl

Moss Rose T432 by Wedgwood China
Description: Pink Moss Rose with Green Leaves

Moss Rose is one of the oldest recorded china patterns, dating back to the 17th century.

 Moss rose china was made by many firms from 1808 to 1900. It has a typical moss rose pictured as the design. The plant is not as popular now as it was in Victorian gardens, so the fuzz-covered bud is unfamiliar to most collectors. The dishes were usually decorated with pink and green flowers. The moss rose design was used by many companies.

The sugar bowl is  Wedgwood, Etruria and Barleston, England. It dates back to the 1940's.

Mrs Tiggy-Winkle

The Tale of Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle is a children's book written and illustrated by Beatrix Potter. It was published by Frederick Warne  & Co. in October 1905. Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle is a hedgehog washerwoman who lives in a tiny cottage in the fells of the Lake District. A child named Lucie happens upon the cottage and stays for tea. The two deliver freshly laundered clothing to the animals and birds in the neighbourhood.

This is a charming Wedgwood ceramic child's mug that was purchased for my son in the 80's.  It features hand painted scenes of Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle, Lucie and sayings.

Peter Rabbit

Little Peter Rabbit had a fly upon his nose,

Little Peter Rabbit had a fly upon his nose,

Little Peter Rabbit had a fly upon his nose,

And he flipped it and he flapped it and it flew away. 

Powder Puffs and Curly Whiskers,

Powder Puffs and Curly Whiskers,

Powder Puffs and Curly Whiskers,

And he flipped it and he flapped it and it flew away.

Peter Rabbit is the most famous of Beatrix Potter's creations.

His adventures have delighted adults and children for over a hundred years.

Wedgwood has a long association with Peter Rabbit and Beatrix Potter. The relationship dates back to 1949 when Wedgwood first decorated ceramic items with the iconic Peter Rabbit illustrations, and Wedgwood has been producing Peter Rabbit nurseryware ever since.

Dating Pottery

Dating old pottery is difficult, especially when it has been in operation for over 200 years , like Wedgwood has.  Manufacturers were not really concerned about sticking to rules and would therefore interchange marks. This meant that that they would use different marks at the same time and use old batches later in the production run.

 In 1860 the Wedgwood factory started marking its wares with the date of manufacture impressed in each piece as part of a three letter code. The first letter of the code represents the month of manufacture, the second identified the potter who threw the shape and the last letter signifying the year the piece was made starting with 0 for 1860. The series was repeated 4 times. From 1907 on in the third series the first letter for the month is replaced by a 3 and with the fourth series commencing with A in 1924 with the figure 4. There is an area of confusion in wares in the first two series. For example TOT could mean a piece produced in either June 1865 or June of 1891. Commencing in 1929 the year mark is replaced by the last two digits of the year, 30 standing for 1930.

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.