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(Extracts Pages 8-10) 

BRISTOL POTTERY (1784-1972) - A BRIEF HISTORY

TEMPLE BACK POTTERY

The Beginnings of an Epoch

“Established 1750”, “Established 1683”, “Founded 1652”.

These three dates appeared in the backstamps of wares of the Bristol Pottery produced at the Fishponds factory during the twentieth century, and reflected the Company’s pride in its long associations with the ceramics industry. This pride continued to be demonstrated right up to closure, as borne out by one of the final backstamps which boasted “England’s Oldest Pottery”.

The 1750 date had been assumed to be the year of the founding of the Temple Pottery around which the history of Pountney & Co. is largely based. This date was first used on wares at the Victoria Pottery and continued to appear up to 1923. However, W.J.Pountney’s book “Old Bristol Potteries”, which was published in 1920, confirmed that the earliest deeds of the Pottery went back to 1683 and the backstamp was revised accordingly. The earlier date of 1652 was adopted after the Second World War. Its use was considered justified on the basis of W.J.Pountney’s discovery of a fragment of delftware bearing that date while conducting excavations at St. Anne’s, Brislington, in 1914. This find, coupled with the unearthing of further shards, was taken as evidence that finely decorated wares had been produced in Bristol as long as three centuries ago.  Moreover, the production of these wares had taken place at premises to which the later Temple Pottery could claim to have direct links.

Delftware (1683 - 1784)

It was from the Temple Pottery, situated in Water Lane on Temple Back, that the concern later to be known as the Bristol Pottery developed. It was erected by Edward Ward in 1683 and was the largest of several delftware potteries operating in Bristol at that time. The premises remained with the Ward family until their transfer to Thomas Cantle in 1746 following the closure of his Limekiln Pottery at Brandon Hill in that year. Subsequent owners were William Taylor from 1756 and Richard Frank from 1777. The latter had owned the former Redcliffe Back Pottery which had closed in 1777.

Birth of the Bristol Pottery (1784 - 1813)

In 1784, Richard Frank’s son-in-law, Joseph Ring, inherited the Temple Pottery which was then producing stoneware as well as the soft, easily damaged delftware. Soon after, production switched to the more serviceable cream-coloured earthenware, whose merits had been so emphatically demonstrated by Wedgwood’s recently introduced “Queen’s Ware”.  By the turn of the century, creamware itself had been succeeded by the whiter and more versatile pearlware.

Ring entered into a partnership in 1788 with William Taylor and Henry Carter, trading as Ring, Taylor and Carter. Joseph Ring died in an accident at the factory later that year, whereupon his widow, Elizabeth, assumed his role. This partnership was dissolved in 1791 and a new one formed between Robert Ring (Joseph’s brother) and Henry Carter which lasted until 1797/8 when Ring withdrew. The business then traded as Henry Carter & Co. until 1813, although Joseph Ring Jnr. (son of Joseph Snr.) was also involved in running the factory. In addition, Joseph managed the Company’s china and glass warehouse in Bath Street, Bristol, which he had taken over from his mother, Elizabeth Ring, in 1807. This was a retail outlet which sold not just Bristol pottery but wares from Worcester, Wedgwood and other Staffordshire potteries. Joseph’s widow, Sarah, succeeded him in this role from his death in 1814 until about 1820. Independent retail outlets were also operated by various members of the Ring family well into the 1850’s.

Towards the end of the eighteenth century, by which time the other principal potteries in Bristol had closed, the Temple Pottery adopted the title the “Bristol Pottery”.  By 1800 the Company had more than 100 employees.

Wares from the Ring/Carter period are difficult to identify because few are marked. In line with other factories at that time, it is known that hand-painted creamwares (later pearlwares) were produced together with transfer-printed and mocha wares.

A Pottery of Excellence (1813 - 1850)

It was in 1813 that John Decimus Pountney joined in partnership with Henry Carter and Joseph Ring (Jnr.) trading as Carter, Ring & Pountney. Ring died in 1814 and there followed a brief spell of trading as Carter & Pountney. Carter died in 1815 and in 1816 Pountney was joined by Edwin Allies, his former clerical assistant, the style from that date being “Pountney & Allies”.

Pountney’s influence and involvement were the most notable individual contributions in the Company’s history. He encouraged and promoted significant developments in both the technical and artistic fields and by 1819 the Pottery’s workforce had increased to 200. He also played a big part in civic life, culminating with his election as Lord Mayor in 1847. Allies on the other hand took little obvious part in the development of the Pottery, continuing to fulfil a mainly background administrative role until his retirement in 1835.

When Edwin Allies retired in 1835, Pountney continued alone for a few months before joining with Gabriel Goldney in a partnership which lasted until 1850. Goldney was very much the junior partner, contributing less than 20% of the share capital. Moreover, with little knowledge of the pottery industry, he continued the work of his predecessor, Edwin Allies, fulfilling an administrative rather than a practical and innovative role.

During the Pountney & Allies/Goldney periods, many fine wares were produced, including the decorative pieces painted by William Fifield  and, from 1845, the highly artistic moulded items created by the modeller Edward Raby. Utilitarian wares were also of very high quality, in particular the blue and white transfer-printed services depicting Bristol and River Thames scenes. It can be said that during this period the Bristol Pottery was at its zenith in terms of overall quality and artistic merit. There is also evidence that as well as selling their own wares, Pountneys continued to act as agents for the sale of other companies’ products, including encaustic tiles from Worcester.

(Extract - Page 49)

Cabbage roses by George Stewart, c1905-15. Tyg 8" high.

Cock and hen wares by George Stewart, c1905-15. Far right - Bristol Fiscal Pottery plate c1905, 9.5" dia.

(Extract - Pages 58 & 59)

THE 1930's AND ART DECO

In the early 1930's, the Bristol Pottery all but discontinued the production of ornamental wares such as vases and hand-painted items purely for display. This move coincided with the departure of the last of the "old school" artists, George Stewart, Thomas Trafford and Reg. Williams, and presumably came about due to the disproportionately high production costs of art-wares compared to those of mass-produced items. Consequently, the Pottery's remaining artistic talent was almost entirely concentrated on the decoration of domestic and utilitarian wares.

T.B. Johnston had recognised that the range of shapes available for Pountneys' domestic wares was outmoded and unimaginative and needed to be updated to reflect the exciting changes that were taking place in the ceramics industry in response to the Art Deco movement. It is fair to say that, in comparison with other potteries of the time, Pountneys adopted a somewhat muted and cautious approach to the production of art deco wares. Not for them was the mass production of wide ranges of outlandish designs and shapes such as those emanating from Clarice Cliff and other potters!

Nevertheless, the appointment of J.F. (Jack) Price as Consultant Designer in 1933 brought new vitality to the Pottery with the introduction of his Modern Bristol shapes, Dorland, Burlington and Academy. Dorland was the earliest, being named after the Dorland House Exhibition of 1933 at which it was first shown. This was followed in 1935 by Burlington and later Academy, both named after the Royal Academy's Burlington House Exhibition of that year. The new cleaner and simpler shapes were easier to decorate and were welcomed by the Pottery's artists.  

Dorland with its geometric shape and flat-back teapots, coffeepots and jugs was the most innovative design, the chrome banding and coloured lining applied extensively to these wares giving emphasis to their art deco appearance. The Bristol paintresses were particularly adept at executing this style of decoration which was very popular at the time.

The differences between the Burlington and Academy shapes were relatively minor and, while they possessed some art deco features, these were not so pronounced as the Dorland range. Similarly, the decorations used tended to follow more traditional lines, with floral patterns frequently in evidence, although these were often accompanied by coloured banding and lining. The recently introduced underglaze, hand-painted "Tulip" pattern was also popular, particularly for Academy wares, as was the hand-painted "Fazackerly" decoration, which was a close copy of an old delftware pattern. Other art deco style, transfer-printed motifs were sometimes applied to all three Modern Bristol ranges but these were rather restrained in comparison with the output from other factories. There is evidence that Burlington and Academy wares were sometimes mixed in both dinner and tea/coffee services and that Academy-shape cups and saucers were occasionally used in conjunction with other tea and coffee services well into the 1950‘s.

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