Misleading Pieces
On the following pages I will discuss the problems of identification caused by replacements for Ridgway services made by other manufacturers, copies of Ridgway designs by other firms, and puzzle pieces that may or may not be by one or other of the Ridgway factories.
The occurences when the various Ridgway partnerships bought in blanks from other firms are mentioned in the main listings under the relevant pattern.
I also present patterns from other factories whose wares have been mistaken for Ridgway at times.
Other Manufacturers
Replacements
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| 405 | Saucer. 'Bute' shape. Bone china. |  |
| 2/1063 | Saucer and cup. 'Royal' shape. Bone china. |  |
Copies
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| Pan Jugs | Genuine blue jug compared with earthenware copy with green highlighting. |  |
Puzzles
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| Flower Pot | Flower pot & stand. Bone china. White sprigs of Chariot type. Overglaze pale green ground. |  |
Other Manufacturers
Samuel Alcock & Co. / Sir James Duke & Nephews
Samuel Alcock, Cobridge c.1828-53, Hill Pottery, Burslem, c.1830-59.
Sir James Duke & Nephews, Hill Pottery, Burslem, c.1860-3.
Hill Pottery Co. (Ltd.), Burslem, c.1861-7.
Samuel Alcock produced fine bone china as well as earthenwares. His china has often been mistaken for Ridgway because the factory used fractional pattern numbering. The shapes are, however, quite different, and the style of gilding has a flavour unique to the factory. Whereas Ridgway pattern numbers are generally, but not exclusively, painted in iron-red, Alcock numbers can be in iron-red, but more generally are in puce, or in one of the border colours used on the item being numbered. The numbers are also done with a boldness generally absent from Ridgway numbering, and often contain an "N." or "No." to the left of the lower part of the number.
Numbered Moulded Jugs
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| 116 | Jug. Parian with lilac slip. Breach of Acre commemorating Sir Sidney Smith and the seige of 1799. |  |
| 117 | Jug with Britannia metal lid. Parian with lilac slip. Portland Vase. |  |
Numbered Bone China
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| 625 | Sugar box, creamer, tea cup & saucer. Melting Snow border shape. Bone china. Dark blue & gilt vine border. Gilt edge, top of knop, tracing on handles. |  |
| 4880 | Dessert plate. Leaning Rose shape. Bone china. Grey, white & gilt border with gilt leaves & grape bunches hanging over shoulder. Multicoloured hand-painted floral centre. Gilt edge line. |  |
| 6067 | Sugar box. Bone china. Hanging reserves in Mazarin blue & gilt. Gilt knob, tracing on edge mouldings & handles, foot line. |  |
| 6142 | Trio. Rustice bean handle. Bone china. Chinoiserie style outline print in blue filled Mazarin Blue, iron-red, rose, yellow-green, blue-green, buff, straw, purple. Opaque orange highlights. Lustre edge. |  |
| 6173 | Coffee cup & saucer. Rustic Bean handle. Bone china. Pale blue border, with flower heads in cream, iron-red, & blue-green. Gilt highlighting, edge, scrolling round cup, spike on handle. |  |
| 7530 | Vase. Bone china. Marone ground with cream, straw, turquoise, and gilt. Multicoloured hand-painted landscape both sides. |  |
| 8854 | Bread & butter dish. Bone china. Beige, straw & gilt border. Centre multicoloured hand-painted flower group. Gilt edge, tracing on handles. |  |
| 9624 | Tea cup & saucer. Rustic Bean handle. Bone china. Gilt, grey & buff border with hanging grey & gilt flowers & leaves. Gilt edge, foot ring, leafy sine wave round cup, detailing on handle. |  |
| 9851 | Coffee cup & saucer. Bone china. Yellow green, straw, and gilt border of leaves and flower heads with some leaves dropping into centre. Irregular gilt inner border with row of gilt commas. Gilt edge, sprig centre, spriggy sine wave round cup, foot line, acanthus detailing on handle. |  |
| 1/4034 | Short dessert comport. Bone china. Salmon beige border highlighted with a band of gilding. Centre multicoloured hand-painted landscape. Gilt edge, band round underside, foot ring. Salmon beige & gilt band round foot. |  |
| 2/253 | Vase, Bone china. Overall white & gilt. The principal reserve has a multicoloured hand-painted view of "Little Falls, Mohawk River". The other reserve has a view of an ecclesiastical building by water. |  |
| 2/2633 | Water sprinkler. Bone china. Yellow green ground with straw and gilt detailing. Multicoloured hand-painted flower sprig each side. Gilt edge, foot, detailing on handle. |  |
| 2/3382 | Three dessert plates. Horn of plenty shape. Bone china. Mazarin blue, straw and gilt border. Centre multicoloured hand-painted flower group. Gilt edge. |  |
| 2/5463 | Two leaf dessert dishes. Horn of plenty shape. Bone china. Green, straw, and gilt border. Centre multicoloured hand-painted flower group. Gilt edge, tracing on handle. |  |
| 2/5545 | Leaf dessert dish. Horn of plenty shape. Bone china. Mazarin blue, straw and gilt border. Centre multicoloured hand-painted flower group. Gilt edge, tracing on handle. |  |
| 2/5635 | Vase. Bone china. Yellow green ground with straw and gilt detailing. Reserve on one side a landscape, on the other a floral group. Gilding inside top. |  |
| 2/6296 | Pair of dessert plates. Horn of plenty shape. Bone china. Mazarin blue, straw and gilt border. Centre multicoloured hand-painted flower group. Gilt edge. |  |
| 2/6559 | Meat dish. Bone china. Pale brown border with inner edge of straw & gilt leaf scrolls with white, gilt & yellow green leaves. Centre large multicoloured hand-painted flower group. Gilt edge. |  |
| 2/7143 | Pair of dessert plates. Horn of plenty shape. Bone china. Drab stone border with flower heads and spiralling in gilt. Multicoloured hand-painted floral centre. Gilt edge. |  |
| 2/8053 | Leaf dessert dish. Bone china. Grey, straw & gilt border. Multicoloured hand-painted floral centre. Gilt dontillated edge, tracing on handle. Gilt foot line. |  |
| 3/925 | Dessert plate. Bone china. Flame red border with reserves of gilt, white, yellow-green, and dark blue radiating from centre gilt ring. Centre multicolored hand-painted flower group. Gilt edge. |  |
| 3/9116 | Vase. Bone china. Flame red ground with cream, turquoise, & gilt contrasts. Large reserve on one side filled with multicoloured hand-painted view of children at play near a river entitled "The Holiday". |  |
| 3/9199 | Dessert plate. Bone china. Neo-classical printed scene with two multicoloured figures against a black background. Brown and black arcaded shoulder band. Broad blue border with stylised printed acanthus groups in white and buff. Edge band in buff and cream. |  |
| 4/641 | Chamber stick. Bone china. Dark green ground. Straw & gilt mouldings & taper holder neck. |  |
| 4/5704 | Dessert plate. Bone china. Pink border with white & gilt outer band and gilt inner band. Multicoloured landscape centre. |  |
| 4/6303 | Comport. Bone china. Shoulder band of turquoise with gilt lines at edges. Gilt arcaded border inside band. Central floral sprig, and band of flowers on border hand-painted in pink, yellow green & turquoise. Gilt wide & narrow bands at edge. |  |
| 6/4357 | Tea cup & saucer. Bone china. Peach ground with intricate plant-like gilding. Oval reserves bounded gilt with multicoloured hand-painted landscapes. Gilt edge, foot line, leafy edge inside cup, detailing on handle. |  |
Booths
Thomas Booth & Son, Tunstall, 1872-1876
Thomas G. Booth, Tunstall, 1876-1883
T. G. & F. Booth, Tunstall, 1883-1891
Booths Ltd., Tunstall, 1891-1948
Booths & Colcloughs Ltd., Tunstall & Longton, 1948-54
Ridgway, Adderley, Booths, & Colcloughs Ltd., Jan.1955-Feb.1955
Ridgway Potteries Ltd., Feb.1955-1964
Allied English Potteries Ltd., 1964-Dec.1972
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| "Pompadour" | Jug. Earthenware. Print copying Job Ridgway & Sons "Japan Opaque China" Pattern 767. |  |
Clews
Ralph & James Clews, Cobridge Works, Cobridge, 1818-1834
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| Bacchanalian Boys | Jug. Brown coloured stoneware with white sprigs. Bacchanalian Boys style sprigging. Smear glaze outside, full glaze inside. |  |
| Butterfly and Trellis | Dessert plate or twiffler. Earthenware. Butterfly and Trellis print (copying J&W Ridgway) in black. |  |
Coalport
John Rose & Co., Coalport, 1795-1880.
Coalport China Co., Coalport, 1880-1925.
Coalport china has often been mistaken for Ridgway because the factory used fractional pattern numbering. The fractional numbering, however, never has more than three figures below the line, is usually in gilt, and is often written at right angles to the foot rim.
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| 2/138 | Saucer. Bone china. Burgundy ground with reserves of multicoloured fantastic birds. Gilt edge, rococo edging to reserves, star in wreath centre, tracing on edge moulding. |  |
| 2/428 | Coffee cup & saucer. 'No.7' shape. Green, straw & gilt border with reserves with multicoloured hand-painted landscapes. Gilt edge, star centre, floral band round cup, detailing on handle. |  |
| 3/215 | Tea cup & saucer. 'Adelaide' shape. Bone china. Grey and gilt border. Centre multicoloured hand-painted landscape. Gilt edge, foot ring, flower groups on side of cup, tracing on handle. |  |
| 3/250 | Tea cup & saucer. 'Adelaide' shape. Bone china. Grey, drab, and gilt border. Gilt star centre, edge, foot ring, complex band round cup, tracing on handle. |  |
| 3/793 | Dessert plate. Rococo edge shape. Bone china. Mazarin blue & gilt border with white reserves. Centre and reserves have printed flower groups filled with multicoloured enamels. |  |
| 4/158 | Tea cup & saucer. Moulded leaf edge shape. Bone china. Drab & gilt border. Centre multicoloured hand-painted flower group. Gilt edge, foot line, complex pattern round cup, tracing on handle. |  |
| 4/195 | Dessert plate. Rococo edge shape. Bone china. Grey & leafy gilt border. Centre multicoloured hand-painted flower group. |  |
| 4/966 | Dessert plate. Rococo edge shape. Bone china. Gilt & white border. Centre multicoloured hand-painted flower group. |  |
| 5/459 | Dessert plate. Rococo edge shape. Bone china. Peach & gilt border. Centre multicoloured hand-painted flower group. |  |
| 5/461 | Dessert plate. Rococo edge shape. Bone china. Buff & gilt border. Centre multicoloured hand-painted specimen flower. |  |
| 5/611 | Dessert plate. Bone china. Sky blue & gilt border. Centre multicoloured hand-painted flower group. |  |
| 6/33 | Dessert plate. Bone china. Celeste blue, straw, & gilt border. Centre multicoloured hand-painted specimen flower. |  |
| 6/56 | Dessert plate. Bone china. Marone & gilt border with white reserves. Centre and reserves have printed flower groups filled with multicoloured enamels. |  |
| 7/407 | Dessert plate. Bone china. Red, pearl, & raised gilt edge. Centre multicoloured hand-painted fruit centre. |  |
Dudson
James Dudson, Hanley, 1838-88
J. T. Dudson, Hanley, 1888-1898
Dudson Bros. Ltd., Hanley, 1898 on
Unnumbered 'Jasperware' Patterns
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| 455 | Water bottle & stand. Brown coloured earthenware with blue & white 'Fern & Bluebell' sprigging. |  |
| 467 | Rope handled jug. Brown earthenware, partly turned body with white ivy 'Allbine' sprigging. |  |
| 544 | Low-bellied jug. White earthenware covered with blue slip and white 'Fern & Bluebell' sprigging. |  |
| 1052 | Water bottle. Brown coloured earthenware with white fern 'Fern Wreath' sprigging. |  |
| 1182 | Rope handled jug. White earthenware covered with hyacinth blue slip and white vine swag and lion head 'Festoon' sprigs. |  |
| 1405 | Phoenix or 'Wyvern' jug with hinged metal lid. Brown coloured earthenware with white phoenix sprigging. |  |
| 1422 | Rope handled jug. Slate blue coloured earthenware with white floral sprigging. |  |
| 1436 | Rope handled jug. Brown coloured earthenware with white 'Cherubs & Divisions' sprigging. |  |
| 1623 | Rope handled jug. Slate blue coloured earthenware with white 'Chinese Figures' sprigging. |  |
| 1679 | Dragon handled square jug. Brown coloured earthenware with white floral sprigging. |  |
| 1688 | Rope handled jug. Brown coloured earthenware with white floral sprigging. |  |
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| 'Mosaic' pink | Rope handled jug with hinged Britannia metal lid. Pink coloured earthenware. Two bands of 'Bead & Line' with black bead and blue line and turning. Full glaze. |  |
Unnumbered 'Jasperware' Patterns
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| 'Cherubs' sage | Rope handled jug with hinged Britannia metal lid. Sage coloured earthenware with white reliefs. Smear glaze body, full glaze handle. |  |
| 'Cherubs' brown | Rope handled coffee pot. Brown coloured earthenware with white reliefs. Smear glaze outside, full glaze inside. |  |
| 'Muses' | Rope handled 'Cocoa Jug'. Pale blue coloured earthenware with white reliefs. Full glaze. |  |
| 'Muses & Divisions' | Rope handled jug. Pale blue earthenware covered in dark blue slip and white reliefs. Full glaze. |  |
Grainger Worcester
Grainger Wood & Co., New China Works, Worcester, c.1801-12.
Grainger, Lee, & Co., New China Works, Worcester, c.1812-c.1839.
George Grainger (& Co.), c.1839-1902.
Grainger also used a fractional pattern numbering system, and did number their pieces in a very similar way to Cauldon Place. But the shapes and the style of decoration are much later than the equivalent pattern in Ridgway.
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| 2/122 | Trio. Bone china. Hand-painted shell pattern in green and gilt. |  |
Hamilton & Moore
Hamilton & Moore, St. Mary's Works, High St., Longton, 1841-1858/9.
Samuel Moore, 1859-1865.
Moore & Son, 1865-1870/2.
Moore Bros., 1872-1905.
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| 2/331 | Tea cup and saucer. Bone china. Green & white border. Hand-painted mulicoloured flower groups in centre and reserves. Gilt flower heads and tracing in border with c-scrolls in reserves. Gilt inner and outer edges to border, body and foot rings on cup, spike on handle. |  |
Machin
Machin & Baggaley, Waterloo Pottery, Burslem, 1809-33.
Machin & Potts, Waterloo Pottery, Burslem, 1833-37.
Machin products have been misidentified as Ridgway by Dr. Godden, particularly the so-called Moustache and Harbold shapes.
The attribution of at least some of the Moustache shape patterns is still in dispute, the other main contender being Hicks & Meigh.
The best reference to the Machin wares is Bill Thom & Philip Miller, Machin Porcelains and Earthenwares including a partial reconstruction of the Machin pattern book (Berwick on Tweed, 2008).
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| 340 | Tea cup & saucer. Bute shape. Bone china. Hand-painted multicoloured wrap-round view of a man on a bridge between buildings. Fantastic plants surround. Gilt edge & highlights, gilt feathered spike on handle. |  |
| 547 | Dessert centrepiece, leaf dish, dessert plate. Harbold shape. Bone china. Blue printed floral design filled rose, iron-red, yellow-green, & brown. |  |
| 547 gilt | Leaf dish. Harbold shape. Bone china. Blue printed floral design filled rose, iron-red, yellow-green, & brown. Gilt ferny leaves added to centre group. Gilt edge, shoulder line, tracing on volutes. |  |
| 616 | Rectangular dish, dessert plate. Harbold shape. Bone china. Cream border with mazarin blue shoulder and volutes. Embossing picked out in gilt & white. Gilt dontil edge to shoulder, gilt centre ring. |  |
| 660 | Dessert plate. Moustache shape. Bone china. Mazarin blue & gilt border with heavy gilt band round centre. Multicoloured hand-painted floral group centre. |  |
| 663 | Centrepiece, oval dessert dish, dessert plate. Moustache shape. Bone china. Multicoloured floral sprigs, large in centre, small in border. |  |
| 690 | Centrepiece, pair of dessert plates. Moustache shape. Bone china. Mazarin blue, cream & gilt border. White reserves in border with multicoloured flower sprigs. Central multicoloured flower sprig. Gilt shoulder band. |  |
| 691 | Dessert plate. Moustache shape. Bone china. Centre single hand-painted flower. Edge gilt with tracing on moulding. |  |
| 692 | Leaf dessert dish, dessert plate. Moustache shape. Bone china. Mazarin blue, cream & gilt border. White reserves in border with multicoloured flower sprigs. Central multicoloured flower sprig. Gilt shoulder band. |  |
| 733 | Dessert centrepiece, dessert plate. Moustache shape. Bone china. Mazarin blue, cream & gilt border. Central multicoloured flower sprig. Gilt shoulder band. |  |
| 761 | Square dessert dish. Dropped shell border shape. Bone china. Green border mottled in imitation of shagreen with heavy gilt band round centre. Multicoloured hand-painted floral group centre. Edge moulding gilt with rose to pink shading on shell handles. |  |
| 769 | Sugar box, creamer. Dolphin-handled shape. Slop bowl. Belled London shape. Tea cup & saucer. Etruscan shape. Bone china. Imari printed pattern with vase and flowers. Mazarin blue border &c, iron-red flowers. |  |
| 784 | Dessert plate. Dropped shell border shape. Bone china. Chinese style floral design printed in black, filled turquoise and purple. |  |
| 848 | Dessert plate. Moustache shape. Bone china. Mazarin blue, salmon & gilt border. White reserves in border with multicoloured flower sprigs. Central multicoloured flower sprig. Gilt shoulder band. |  |
| 940 | Leaf dessert dish. Moustache shape. Bone china. Mazarin blue, cream & gilt border. Central multicoloured flower sprig. Gilt shoulder band. |  |
Mason's
The patterns here are ones used at Lane Delph prior to the printing plates and moulds being sold to Francis Morley in 1848.
Miles Mason, Lane Delph, c.1800-1813
G. M. & C. J. Mason, Lane Delph, c.1813-1829
C. J. Mason & Co., Lane Delph, 1829-1845
C. J. Mason, Lane Delph, 1845-1848
In 1848 the Mason's printing plates and moulds were sold to Francis Morley at the Broad Street Works.
C. J. Mason, Lane Delph, c.1851-54
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| Pattern 1 | Dessert plate. Ironstone. Indian Grasshopper print in blue filled iron-red, rose, yellow green, yellow, and salmon. |  |
| 'Canton' | Dessert plate. Ironstone. 'Canton' print in plum, filled orange-red and salmon. |  |
Minton
Minton, 1793-1836.
Minton & Boyle, 1836-1841.
Minton & Co., 1841-1873.
Minton & Hollins, 1845-1868.
Mintons, 1871-1950.
Minton Ltd., 1900-1908.
Minton, 1951 on.
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| 832 | Tea service. 'Berlin Embossed' shape. Bone china. Alternating gilt bordered panels of cream with multicoloured flowers, and green with gilt flowers. Some multicoloured flower sprigs on white areas. Gilt edge, tracing on mouldings. |  |
| 5845 | Tea cup & saucer. Bone china. 'Hicks Rock & Bird' printed in flow blue filled underglaze blue and overglaze iron-red and salmon. Gilt highlights. |  |
New Hall
New Hall Porcelain Works, Hanley, 1781-1835.
Makers of hard-paste porcelain 1781-c.1812, and bone china c.1812-1835.
Many New Hall pieces are unmarked but extensive research has been done on the patterns, most of which has been published, so an individual pattern number can often be traced.
New Hall jugs and mugs have been mistaken for early Ridgway sprigged wares. They do have a certain similarity, but the handle form is quite different, and distinctive.
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| Mug | Mug. Bone china. White sprigs on lilac-blue ground. |  |
| 2101 | Coffee cup & saucer. London shape. Bone china. Mazarin blue & heavy gilt border with angular reserves. Reserves and centre multicoloured hand-painted flower groups. Gilt edge, centre ring, foot ring, tracing on handle. Handle half gilt on down bar only. |  |
| 2901 | Teapot, creamer. Old English shape. Bone china. Complex gilt and white pattern with a band of rose heads in rose and green. Gilt edge line, foot line, detailing on handle. |  |
Rockingham Brameld
Brameld family supported by Earl Fitzwilliam, Swinton, 1807-1842.
Makers of pottery 1807-1842, and bone china c.1820-1842.
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| 1475 | Trio. Bone china. Narrow green & gilt border. Centre green & gilt sprig surrounded by one large and two small multicoloured hand-painted flower sprigs. Green & gilt flower sprigs outside cups. Gilt edge, foot line, tracing on handle. Half gilt upper bar to handle. |  |
| 2/52 | Coffee cup & saucer. Bone china. Pale grey & gilt border. Centre multicoloured hand-painted flower group. Gilt edge, leafy sine wave round cup, foot ring, tracing on handle. |  |
Yates
John Yates [the elder], Shelton, c.1770-95/6.
John [the younger] and William Yates, 1795/6-1808 (or c.1813?).
John Yates, Shelton, 1808 (or c.1813?)-1828.
Members of the Yates family, 1828-c.1834/5.
Yates & May, Shelton, c.1834/5-c.1843?
Clearly some research needs to be done into the history of the firm as different authorities disagree on dates.
Yates had a fractional numbering system, and did number their pieces in a very similar way to Cauldon Place. The shapes and the style of decoration are, however, quite different. An expert has informed me that the gold upper bar to the handle is a typical Yates feature.
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| 1394 | Trio. Old English shape. Bone china. Border of apricot, Mazarin blue, & gilt, with geometric reserves with blue & gilt flower heads. Gilt floral centre ring, edge, foot ring, leafy arcading round cup. Half gilt upper bar to handle. |  |
| 1635 | Rectangular dessert dish. Bone china. Yellow ground with floral sprigs printed in black and filled with multicoloured enamels. Gilt edge and tracing on handles. |  |
| 2/1585 | Tea cup and saucer. Bone china. Geometric and leafy design in purple, pink, and gilt. |  |