Church Works Patterns
Church Works, Hanley, Occupation Periods
| Phillips & Thompson | 1816/7-1819 | |
| Phillips & Bagster | 1819-1823 | |
| John Denton Bagster | 1823-1827/9? | |
| Joseph Mayer? | 1827?-1831? | |
| William Ridgway & Co. | 1828/31?-1838 | |
| William Ridgway, Son & Co. | 1838-1845 | |
| (E) Ridgway & Abington | 1845-1859 | |
| Edward John Ridgway | 1859-1866 |
There is some considerable doubt as to when William Ridgway took over the Church Works from the executors of J D Bagster. There is some reason to suppose it was before his partnership with his brother John ended. Leonard Stanley Abington was a modeller who worked for Phillips and Bagster and became the "& Co" with William Ridgway. He appears to have been the artist responsible for the moulded jugs and other wares.
The Church Works was run in parallel with the Cobden Works, on the other side of High Street, Hanley, formerly owned by Elijah Mayer, between c.1832 and 1848. There is some evidence to suggest that Joseph Mayer, Elijah's son, and William Ridgway's cousin, bought the Church Works from Bagster's estate, and then leased it, with the Cobden Works, to William Ridgway & Co.
In 1866 E J Ridgway relocated to the then new Bedford Works. The products of that factory are outside the scope of this survey.
I ought, at this point, to enter a word of caution. The above information has been assembled by me from a variety of sources primarily, but not only, Dr Godden's various publications. However, the publications do not always agree on every point and the information does, therefore, need further checking.
Apart from the early traveller's book formerly in the possession of Dr Godden, and covering only patterns 1 to 196, I have been unable to trace any pattern information at all. The wares illustrated have been tracked down by the hard work of pattern, shape and mark matching. Where shapes have been shared with the Broad Street Works, the fact has been noted, and joint pages set up. Luckily we have detailed pattern and pattern description books for the Broad Street Works that help to separate the wares of the two factories. I have specifically excluded any wares that I have doubts about. Given those provisos, the list is as accurate as I can make it but I accept may be open to challenge. I would be grateful to anyone who has contrary information, if they would share it with me.
Named Patterns.
Following the practice at Cauldon Place, printed patterns without further decoration were given a name, but no pattern number.
Click on thumbnail to see larger image.
"Albion" |
Dessert plate. Modified 'Wellington' shape. Earthenware, with grey coloured earthenware edge sprigs. "Albion" print in green. |  |
"Flosculous" |
Two oval dessert dishes, round dessert dish, dessert plate. 'Wellington' shape. Pale blue coloured earthenware. "Flosculous" print in green. |  |
"Apple-Blossom" |
Dinner plate. 'Albion' shape. Earthenware. "Apple-Blossom" print in blue. |  |
Moulded patterns without a known pattern number.
From the traveller's pattern book formerly in the possession of Dr Geoffrey Godden we know that moulded wares had pattern numbers. Unfortunately these numbers were not painted on the wares so we only know the numbers of the patterns in the book. The remainder are listed here.
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| 'Pompeii' jug stone | Jug. 'Pompeii' shape. "24" size. Buff stone coloured earthenware. Full glaze inside, smear glaze outside. |  |
| 'Pompeii' jug blue | Covered filter jug. 'Pompeii' shape. "4" size. Pale blue coloured earthenware. Full glaze inside and out. |  |
Linen-Fold jug stone |
Jug. Linen-Fold shape. "24" size. Buff stone coloured earthenware. Full glaze inside, smear glaze outside. |  |
| John Barleycorn butter dish parian | Covered butter dish and stand. Off-white parian body. Full glaze inside, smear glaze outside. |  |
| 'Sylvan' butter dish cane | Covered butter dish and stand. Cane ware with earthenware liner. Liner fully glazed. |  |
| Tulip candle-stick stone | 7 inch Tulip candlestick. Buff stone coloured earthenware. Full glaze inside candle holder, smear glaze elsewhere. |  |
| Tulip candle-stick green-grey | 9 inch Tulip candlestick. Green-grey coloured earthenware. Full glaze inside candle holder, smear glaze elsewhere. |  |
| Baluster candle-stick blue-grey | 8 inch Baluster candlestick. Blue-grey coloured earthenware. Full glaze inside candle holder, smear glaze elsewhere. |  |
| Tazza style pot-pourri stone | 8 inch diameter pot-pourri. Stone coloured earthenware. Smear glaze. |  |
| Tazza style pot-pourri grey-green | 9 inch diameter pot-pourri. Grey-green coloured earthenware. Smear glaze. |  |
Numbered Patterns.
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| 33 | Jugs with and without Britannia metal lid. 'Pompeii' shape. Blue coloured earthenware. Multicoloured hand-painted raised flower sprigs with gilt highlights. |  |
| 41 | Dessert plate. 'Wellington' shape. Blue coloured earthenware. Single flower head with two buds in centre. Three large flower heads, each with three buds, on border. White raised slip flower heads and dark blue applied underglaze. Multicoloured decoration overglaze. Gilt highlights and edge line. Florets at edge in white and dark blue. |  |
| 57 | Round dessert dish. 'Wellington' shape. Blue coloured earthenware. Centre flowers in cornucopiae. Three large and three small sprigs round border. White and grey raised slip flower heads and dark blue applied underglaze. Multicoloured decoration overglaze. Gilt highlights and edge line. Florets at edge in white and dark blue. Handles blue & gilt with white florets. |  |
| 60 | Set of three jugs. 'Pompeii' shape. Blue coloured earthenware. Multicoloured hand-painted raised flower sprigs as pattern 33 but with orange highlights. |  |
| 65 | Vase. 'Beaker' shape. Blue coloured earthenware. Chinese figures in black and gilt round body. Ornaments in black, white and gilt round neck and foot. Handles half gilt. Gilt bands round foot and lip. |  |
| 68 | Dessert plate. 'Wellington' shape. Blue coloured earthenware. Centre flowers in cornucopiae. Three large and three small sprigs round border. White and grey raised slip flower heads and dark blue applied underglaze. Multicoloured decoration overglaze. Gilt highlights. No edge line, no decoration to edge florets. |  |
| 153 | Minature jug. 'Pompeii' shape. Blue coloured earthenware. Single multicoloured hand-painted raised flower sprig on each side of jug. Gilt highlights, edge and tracery on handle. |  |
| 176 | Wide urn shaped vase. Blue coloured earthenware. White raised slip reserves with multicoloured landscapes. Surrounded by black and gilt leaves and white and gilt flowers. Gilt leaf circlet at top, gilt highlights to top, handles, stem and base. |  |
| 180 | Dessert plate. 'Wellington' shape. Blue coloured earthenware. Centre flowers in cornucopiae. Three large and three small sprigs round border. White raised slip flower heads and dark blue applied underglaze. Multicoloured decoration overglaze. Gilt highlights and edge line. |  |
| 260 | Wide urn shaped vase. Blue coloured earthenware. White raised slip reserves with multicoloured landscapes. Surrounded by black and gilt leaves and white and gilt flowers. Gilt leaf circlet at top, gilt highlights to top, handles, stem and base. |  |
| 278 | Leaf dessert dish. Blue coloured earthenware. One small centre flower sprig, and three large and three small border flower sprigs. White raised slip flower heads and leaves applied underglaze. Multicoloured decoration overglaze. Gilt edge line, slight tracing to handles. |  |
| 285 | Centre piece, rectangular, oval, leaf dessert dishes, dessert plate. Blue coloured earthenware. Flower basket and flower centre, and three large and three small border flower sprigs. White raised slip flower heads and dark blue leaves applied underglaze. Multicoloured decoration overglaze. Gilt highlights, edge line, slight tracing to handles. Centre boss of handles blued. |  |
| 307 | Dessert plate. Cream coloured earthenware. Flower basket and flower centre, and three large and three small border flower sprigs. White raised slip flower heads and dark blue leaves applied underglaze. Multicoloured decoration overglaze. Gilt highlights, edge line, slight tracing to handles. |  |
| 343 | Mug. Blue coloured earthenware. White raised slip flower heads and dark blue leaves applied underglaze. Multicoloured decoration overglaze. Gilt highlights, edge inside and out, spikes on handle. |  |
| 400 | Round dessert dish. 'Wellington' shape. Earthenware. Printed in brown, single flower group centre, network border with flower groups. Filled rose, yellow green, purple, iron-red. Brown edge line. |  |
| 401 | Dessert plate. 'Wellington' shape. Earthenware. Printed in green, single flower group centre, network border with flower groups. Filled rose, yellow green, purple, yellow. Green edge line. |  |
| 484 | Tea cup and saucer. Earthenware. Border covered in pale blue slip under glaze. Overglaze gilt edge line, linen-fold inner border edge line, centre line on saucer, foot line, spikes on handle. |  |
| 494 | Tam o'Shanter style jug without the story moulding, "12" size. Blue coloured earthenware. Multicoloured hand-painted raised birds and flower sprigs with gilt highlights. Gilt edge line inside and out, spikes on handle. |  |
| 516 | Tam o'Shanter style jug without the story moulding, "9" size. Blue coloured earthenware. Multicoloured hand-painted raised flower heads and leaves with gilt highlights. Gilt edge line inside and out, spikes on handle. |  |
| 530 | Rectangular, leaf dessert dishes, dessert plate. Earthenware. Border covered in pale blue slip under glaze. Overglaze gilt edge line, linen-fold inner border edge line, centre line. |  |
| 553 | Tam o'Shanter style jug without the story moulding, "36" size. Green coloured earthenware. Multicoloured hand-painted raised birds and flower sprigs with gilt highlights. Gilt edge line inside and out, spikes on handle. |  |
| 576 | Dessert plate. Earthenware. Birds and flower sprigs printed in purple brown and filled underglaze blue, and overglaze iron-red, yellow green, and yellow, with gilt highlights. Gilt edge line. |  |
| 613 | Leaf or shell dessert dish. 'Milan' shape. Blue coloured earthenware. Floral and leaf sprigs printed in brown and filled in yellow green. Gilt edge line and highlights. Gilt tracing on handles. |  |
| 615 | Dessert plate. 'Milan' shape. Earthenware. Single centre flower sprig with 3 leaf groups, border alternating flower groups with butterfly groups, narrow criss-cross edge, all printed in brown. Filled yellow green with yellow brown contrasts. |  |
| 617 | Leaf dessert dish, dessert plate. 'Milan' shape. Earthenware. Border covered in pale blue slip under glaze. Overglaze brown edge line, linen-fold inner border edge line. |  |
| 636 | Dessert plate, 'Milan' shape. Earthenware. "Apple-Blossom" print in brown, filled underglaze yellow green. |  |
| 954 | Tam o'Shanter style jug without the story moulding, "24" size. Buff stone coloured earthenware. Birds and flower sprigs printed in brown and filled ug blue, yellow green, yellow, and iron red, with gilt highlights. Gilt edge line inside and out, spikes on handle. |  |
| 1871 | Small muffin. 'Albion' shape. Earthenware. Centre and three border flower sprigs printed in dark brown, and filled in green overglaze. Gilt highlights & edge line. |  |
Uncertain Factory
The following bone china wares are a puzzle. They are 'Milan' shape, which is a William Ridgway shape, yet William is supposed not to have produced bone china. There is a reference in John Ward's 'The Borough of Stoke-upon-Trent' (1843) quoted, without page reference, in Geoffrey Godden's 'Ridgway Porcelains' (Woodbridge, 1985), p.140, when referring to the various works of William Ridgway:
'First, a china manufactory in Hanley, formerly George Taylor's and afterwards Thomas Taylor's, this being carried on by the firm of W. Ridgway & Son. c. 1835 onwards.'
Although Godden then goes on to describe the products of most of the works listed, he ignores this one, and does not attempt to pinpoint its location. This is the only factory of William's that Ward lists as a 'china manufactory', the rest being referred to as 'earthenware manufactory' or 'pot-works'. Of course, one doesn't know how accurate Ward's descriptions are, or exactly what he meant by 'china'. When I showed these pieces to Geoffrey Godden he was inclined to think these pieces may well be by William Ridgway.
Bone China Patterns.
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| 1/44 | Leaf or shell dessert dish. 'Milan' shape. Bone china. Wide green border. Centre flower sprig printed in puce, filled red, rose, yellow green, yellow, off-white. Gilt wide and narrow lines round centre, gilt line arround border. Edge mouldings gilt dotted and c-scrolls around. Handle traced in gilt. |  |
| 1/81 | Dessert plate. 'Milan' shape. Bone china. Marone scallopped border with gilt line in and out. Cream flower head with gilt leaves & fern at border peaks. Small flower grpoups between peaks printed in puce and filled with mulicoloured enamels. Gilt centre line and ring. |  |