Ridgway Bedford Works
Dragon Handled Square Jugs
Recent research indicates that most of the production of Mosaic and Jasper Wares that were attributed by Audrey Dudson to the Dudson factory were actually made at the Bedford Works. James Dudson completely reconstructed the Hope Street Works, building a new large oven in 1872 and completing the refurbishment in 1882. James Dudson appears to have been on good terms with the Ridgway family and clearly there had been previous co-operation between them. Dudson came up with a cheaper process for producing Mosaic and Jasper Wares chiefly for the hotel trade. He would appear to have approached the Ridgways to take over the production from them. The Ridgways perhaps agreed because their sales had been dropping and they were afraid of being undercut by Dudson's new process. The transfer appears to have taken place in several stages, with production of Mosaic wares commencing at Hope Street c.1876/7 and Jasper wares in March 1882. The "new class" wares produced by Dudson are distinctly different from their Ridgway predecessors, which appear to have continued alongside the Dudson production. The last Ridgway date codes have been noted for mid 1883, but it is difficult to know how long after that Ridgway jasper ware continued. A Ridgway produced jug has been noted impressed marked "ENGLAND" so they must have still been going in 1891, but this mark is exceedingly rare so production had probably tapered off by this time. It is possible that a joint marketing agreement existed between 1882 and c.1891, which would explain why Dudson products are generally unmarked between those dates (except for the patent lids). I have seen no evidence of Dudson using date codes. Only the Ridgway made wares appear on this page. As far as I have been able to ascertain, this shape was only ever made by Ridgway.
Ridgway ~ Bedford Works
E. J. Ridgway (& Sons)
Ridgway, Sparks & Ridgway
Ridgways
Incised Number Series
Fractional Number Series
Incised Number Series
Pattern 1674
The jug. Grey stoneware with white sprigs.
Photos © Cat Alina 2021
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Pattern 1679
The jug is 170mm tall. Brown stoneware with white sprigs.
Photos © Clare and Alan Walker 2020
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Fractional Number Series
Pattern i/493
The covered filter jug is 195mm tall. Earthenware.
The impressed date code reads "4/83" for April 1883.
Photos © Max Beaumont Fine Art & Consultancy 2021
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Pattern i/544 "Old Derby"
The jug is 203mm tall and 102mm across base. Earthenware.
Photos © antique_limoges at eBay 2021
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Pattern i/664
The jug with Britannia Metal lid is 150mm to lip, and 170mm to top of lid. Earthenware.
Photos © Cynthia Dumarin 2023
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Pattern i/861
The jug is 197mm tall. Earthenware.
Photos © L. B. Laubenthal 2020
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Pattern i/2007 "Simple"
The jug is 180mm tall. Earthenware.
Photos © Vintage Once Treasured 2020
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Notes.
1. G.A.Godden, Ridgway Porcelains (1985), p.219.