Description | Brief chronological development of the firms:
The Newport Pottery was established in the late Eighteenth Century by Walter Daniel, until 1810 when it Was owned by John Davenport. 1846-1860 Taken over by Messrs. Cork and Edge. 1860-1871 Traded as Cork, Edge and Malkin. 1871-1903 Known as Edge, Malkin And Co. (Ltd.), Newport and Middleport Potteries, Burslem. 1904-1910 Became S.W.Dean, Newport Pottery. 1910- Deans (1910) Ltd. 1920 Taken Over By A. J. Wilkinson And Known As The Newport Pottery Co. Ltd., Burslem.
1885 Arthur J. Wilkinson (Ltd) was established at the Royal Staffordshire Pottery, Burslem (Formerly at the Central Pottery which Had been the property of, among others, Messrs. Burgess and Leigh, Richard Alcook, and Wilkinson and Hulme). 1894 Purchased by Edmund Leigh and Arthur Shorter (Colley Shorter's father). 1916 Arthur Colley Austin Shorter and his brother John Guy became directors. 1920 A. J. Wilkinson Ltd. Took over the neighbouring Newport Pottery.
Clarice Cliff, who was born in 1899, was employed at the age of 17 as a lithographer at A. J.Wilkinson Ltd. and by 1927 had a studio of her own in the Newport Pottery where she produced the very individual style of pottery which became known as Bizarre ware.
1929 The Newport Pottery was given over to the production of Bizarre ware. 1930 Clarice Cliff became Company Art Director. 1940 Clarice Cliff married Colley Shorter. 1950 Clarice Cliff became a Director of Wilkinsons. 1955 Clarice Cliff became a Director of Newport. 1963 Colley Shorter died and negotiations were begun for the takeover of the Wilkinson and Newport Potteries by Midwinter. 1965 These negotiations were completed and Clarice Cliff retired. 1968 Midwinter merged with J. And G. Meakin. 1970 J. & G. Meakin became part of the Wedgwood Group. 1972 Clarice Cliff died October 23rd.
To find the main 3 collections within the 'A. J. Wilkinson and Newport Pottery Collection' search for DocRefNo: PA/W-N. The 3 collections are: Records of Cork and Edge, Newport Pottery (pottery manufacturer), Burslem and the successor company (Cork Edge and Malkin, Newport Pottery, Burslem), 1848-1873; Records of S. W. Dean, Newport Pottery (pottery manufacturer), later Deans 1910 Ltd, 1899-1920; Records of A. J. Wilkinson Ltd (pottery manufacturer), c1880s-1964 [this collection].
This collection also consists of SD 1017 and SD 1164, which are currently uncatalogued.
SD 1017 consists of a folder of correspondence (c1918-1919) from the offices of A. J. Wilkinson and Co. This covers various matters such as designs (including a hand drawn design for a Toby jug) and building works. It also includes a lease for the Mersey Pottery and premises in Burslem, E. A. Shaw to A. J. Wilkinson, dated 1901, and conditions of sale for the pottery works, then known as the Royal Staffordshire Pottery, Shaw's representatives to Messrs Shorter, Bloore and Shorter, dated 1906. Other items include correspondence with the War Office, a list of men of military age and photographs of General Foch and the King's visit to the fleet. There is also one later document, a trade mark certificate of registration for Clarice Cliff from 1930.
SD 1164 consists of sales literature, correspondence and estimates of A. J. Wilkinson and Company, 1960s. |
Copyright | Any questions concerning the publication of images of documents in the collection should be directed to the Archive Services Manager, Stoke on Trent City Archives, City Central Library, Bethesda Street, Hanley, Stoke on Trent, ST1 3RS. |