George Wade and Son Ltd

George Wade Potteries

Wade Potteries

Wade Ceramics

Burslem

Etruria *

c.1867

1922

1935

1989

1922

1975+

1989

Dec 2022

Wade Ceramics

Etruria

May 2022

Porcelain and earthenware manufacturer at the Manchester Pottery, Greenhead Street, Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent, England. The company traced its origins to 1810 - producing ceramics for the textile and wool spinning industries.

George Wade (b.1864 d.1938) was born in Tunstall, Stoke-on-Trent in 1864 one of three sons of son of George and Harriet Wade.
He became chairman of George Wade Potteries, making industrial ceramics for the gas, electric and cotton industry. GW also had a business interest in Chromo Transfer Co., of Burslem.
Around 1905 George Wade was in partnership with Harry Robinson Hallen as Henry Hallen (Wellington Street, Burslem - who also produced ceramics for the cotton industry). In December 1907 this partnership was dissolved with all debts owing and due to be received and paid by George Wade who united the two concerns in a new factory called the Manchester Pottery.
He married Marie Hart and in 1891 they had one son, (later Colonel) George Albert Wade.
At the age of 15 George Albert Wade joined his father in the business. At the outbreak of the First World War he joined up. In 1919 - after release from the army GAW returned to the business and was made a partner.
1922 the business was renamed George Wade & Son Ltd.
In 1931 Major George Wade became a director of both Wade Heath and A.J. Wade Ltd. and when A.J. Wade died.
In November 1935 the new company was floated on the stock market. Known as Wade Potteries Ltd, it was made up of Wade Heath and A.J. Wade Ltd. George Wade was Chairman with George Heath the new Managing Director. However on 4th June 1937, just over two years after the flotation, George Heath died suddenly aged 64 and thus George Wade assumed control of Wade Potteries.
Only in 1953, after Sir George Wade developed Whimsies, a small solid ceramic collectable animal series, did Wade become a household name in the UK and America and the company has been known ever since as the “Home of the Whimsie”
In 1958 Wade Potteries Ltd took over George Wade & Son Ltd and Wade (Ulster) Ltd and, for the first time brought all the Wade group of companies together under Colonel, Sir George Wade.
George Wade was knighted in 1955, "for political and public services,''
In 2010 Wade Ceramics moved from the historic Hill Works in Burslem to a purpose-built factory in nearby Etruria.
In October 2018 Wade opened a second factory (Wade Ceramics, Paragon Works) at the former Aynsley China building, in Longton.
In December 2022 the company ceased trading and went into administration with the loss of 130 jobs. The loss of a major customer and rising costs, especially energy, had contributed to the closure.
In May 2023 it was announced that Wade Ceramics had been sold to RKW leading to the creation of 100 jobs.

Jessie van Hallen

Jessie Elaine Hallen, known as Jessie Van Hallen, was a British ceramicist who worked for George Wade from 1930-1940.

George Albert Wade made a conscious decision that he wanted to move towards the lucrative giftware market, no doubt having seen the success of both Wade Heath & Co Ltd at their Royal Victoria Works as well as A.J. Wade Ltd at the Flaxman Pottery.

With this in mind George hired Jessie Hallen to work for him at the Manchester Pottery initially modelling garden gnomes for Carter's seeds progressing to flowers, animals and ladies.

In 1930 Jessie was allowed to set up her own small department at Wade's Manchester Pottery, reporting directly to George Wade himself. Here she produced her delicate floral arrangements, and now famous lady figurines. With her great gift for modelling and his flair for marketing, they were a formidable pair. Eventually Jessie had studios in all three factories.

This owl mark type was used at the Manchester pottery for items made for the "free market", in other words, items not made to a customer's own design but intended for the general market.

Examples of Wade industrial ware using this mark are ceramic cleats, ceiling roses, insulators and electrical fire element holders.

The letters 'BCM' (for British Commercial Monomarks) were to be used on goods along with an identifying name to uniquely identify the manufacturer and provide a method of corrispondance. Only a small number of pottery companies used the BCM system.

George Wade & Son Ltd used 'OWL' as their identifying name.

Wade Ceramics Paragon Works

On the 25th October 2018 Wade opened a second factory at the former Aynsley China building, in Longton - this factory will be called Wade Ceramics, Paragon Works

"The expansion will allow Wade's Etruria factory to focus on the production of the company's ceramic spirit bottles, while the new Paragon Works factory will produce homeware, kitchenware and fragrances - including their renowned 'gluggle jugs.'"

The new factory has approximately 28,000 sq ft for manufacturing and storage, and provides an additional casting and production facility.