Broad Street Works
'Hicks Rock and Bird' print
'Hick Rock & Bird' is the name given to the print in the early pattern description books. Later it is also referred to as 'Old Bird'. As this later name is fairly close to that of the totally different print called 'Gold Bird' I felt it best only to use the older title.
All entries from the factory pattern description and pattern books are reproduced courtesy of The V&A/Wedgwood Collection.
Hicks, Meigh, & Johnson
Ridgway, Morley, Wear, & Co.
Ridgway & Morley
Francis Morley & Co.
G. L. Ashworth & Bros. Ltd.
Minton Second Series
Hicks, Meigh, & Johnson
Pattern 125
The full entry for Pattern 125 reads:
'Table Bedford BS. Toilet[?]. Printed in P[urple] Brown. Blue on biscuit. Lustre Edge. Hicks Rock & Bird Dk Blue Enameld in Red & opaque orange. No gold.'
The dinner plate is 260mm in diameter.
The side plate or muffin is 178mm in diameter.
The main reason for including this rather battered piece was for the unusual retailer's mark.
Photos © Angela Grant 2018
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Ridgway, Morley, Wear, & Co.
Pattern 142
The full entry for Pattern 142 reads:
'Table Bedford BS. Printed in D Brown. Dr Blue on biscuit. Lustre Edge. Hicks Rock & Bird Enameld Red, Rose & Green Japan, no gold.'
The dinner plate is 267mm in diameter.
This mark is typical of the Hicks, Meigh & Johnson period, here used on a pattern developed after the takeover by Ridgway, Morley, Wear & Co.
Photos © Angela Grant 2018
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Pattern 160
The full entry for Pattern 160 reads:
'Table Bedford BS. Toilet Florence. Print Comn Brown. Blue on biscuit. Lustre Edge. Hicks Rock & Bird. Enameld in style of 142 but slighter, no gold.'
The soup tureen stand is 356mm long, 254mm wide and 32mm tall. Blue Stone body.
Photos © Kenneth H. Carleton 2021
The dessert plate or twiffler is 229mm in diameter.
Photos © Angela Grant 2009
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Pattern 258
The full entry for Pattern 258 reads:
'Table E[arthen]Ware Bedford. Toilet Florence. Printed in S[tone] Brown. Various col[our]s U[nder] Glaze. Edged White. Bird Patt[er]n as 160 Col[oure]d all Under Glaze.'
The meat dish is 336mm long and 267mm wide. Earthenware.
On this version you can clearly see parts of the print normally hidden under Mazarin blue.
The crown without "REAL / STONE CHINA" above and below it indicates an earthenware body.
Photos © Kenneth H. Carleton 2021
The unhandled 'Franklin' shape cup & saucer. Earthenware.
The saucer is 149mm in diameter. Earthenware.
The cup is 102mm wide and 73mm tall. Earthenware.
Photos © Bonnie Jean Seiwell ~ Lady in Decadence 2022
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Ridgway & Morley
Pattern 3/1090
The factory pattern description book entry for 3/1090 reads:
'Table: Pruss[ia]n Sh[ape] E[arthen]w[are]. Print: flowing blue. On biscuit: regular blue. Edge: brown. Old bird as 125, regular blue'd, enamell'd various colours, finish'd in O[paque] Orange.'
The full entry for Pattern 125 reads:
'Table Bedford BS. Toilet[?]. Printed in P[urple] Brown. Blue on biscuit. Lustre Edge. Hicks Rock & Bird Dk Blue Enameld in Red & opaque orange. No gold.'
'Old Bird' is the later name for 'Hicks Rock & Bird'.
The meat dish is 254mm long and 203mm wide. Earthenware.
Photos © Jackie Casey 2022
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Francis Morley & Co.
Pattern 1200
The entry for pattern 3/1200 (later just 1200) in the pattern description book reads:
'Table Pruss[ia]n ew. Printed in Mulberry, blue on biscuit, white edge. As 3/1090 but printed in Mul[berr]y d[ar]k blued & flown enamelled various colours - finished in O[paque] Orange. O Orange line at edge.' The entry for 3/1090 doesn't add anything except the name of the print is given as 'Old Bird' which is another name for 'Hicks Rock and Bird'.
The jug is 110mm tall and 100mm wide at base. Earthenware.
The original Mason's handle is used here. Later jugs had a slimmer handle.
The marks apart from the pattern number appear to be workmen's tally marks.
Photos © Nathalie O'Neill 2020
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G. L. Ashworth & Bros. Ltd.
Pattern B/9178
The covered soup tureen and meat dish. Earthenware.
The former owner assures me they were in a sale together as tureen and stand, but the oval 'stand' is a meat dish.
Photos © Tara Burkholder Saunders 2020
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Pattern B/9464
The dinner plate is 255mm in diameter. Earthenware.
Photos © Chris Holland 2023
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Pattern C/799
The soup plate is 265mm in diameter. Ironstone.
The marks are, unfortunately a little blurred. The lower retailer's mark reads: "MANUFACTURED FOR / J. J. ALLEN LTD. / BOURNEMOUTH".
J. J. Allen started business in 1860 and became a limited company in 1899. They expanded into a group of stores which were taken over by House of Fraser in 1969.
This pattern belongs to the earliest years of the twentieth century.
Photos © InspiringK ~ karg-19 2021
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Pattern C/1791
The dinner plate is 265mm in diameter. Ironstone.
Photos © Chris Holland 2023
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Pattern C/2838
The 7 inch muffin is 180mm in diameter. Ironstone.
Photos © Chris Holland 2023
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Minton Second Series
Pattern 5194 "Oriental Japan"
The print on this tea cup and saucer was originally designed by Hicks, Meigh and Johnson and is described in the pattern description book as 'Hicks Rock & Bird'.
The dessert plate is 235mm in diameter. Earthenware.
The triangle impressed mark is the date code for 1880, but the pattern number is c.1840, so the pattern was clearly made over a long period.
Photos © Chris Holland 2024
Pattern 5845
The print on this tea cup and saucer was originally designed by Hicks, Meigh and Johnson and is described in the pattern description book as 'Hicks Rock & Bird'.
Photos © Violetta Pastwa 2020