The Ridgway Pattern Book

 

Church Works Patterns

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• Cauldon Place
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• Church Works
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Church Works Patterns

Church Works, Hanley, Occupation Periods

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

Moulded patterns without a known pattern number

Numbered patterns

Uncertain factory ~ Bone china patterns

 

Named Patterns.

Following the practice at Cauldon Place, printed patterns without further decoration were given a name, but no pattern number.

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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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Numbered Patterns.

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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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