British Anchor Pottery Co Ltd






 

Location and period of operation:

British Anchor Pottery Co Ltd

Longton

1884 

1970

 

Earthenware manufacturer, Anchor Road, Longton, Stoke-on-Trent. 

British Anchor Pottery used Rawland & Marsellus Co for exports to America

  • The works closed during the war period 1940-1945 and the business carried on at the J & G Meakin Eagle & Eastwood works in Hanley.

  • After the Second Word War business was resumed at the Anchor Road works. 

Takeovers: 

  • At some time the business was purchased by the Gailey Group Ltd. (a Staffordshire property company).

  • In 1970 the Gailey Group gained control of Thomas Poole & Gladstone China Ltd and merged their British Anchor business into their new acquisition.

  • British Anchor's earthenware and Thomas Poole & Gladstone China's 'Royal Stafford' bone china became brand names of a new subsidiary 'Hostess Tableware Ltd' (Hostess Tableware had been a British Anchor trade name since the 1960's). 

  • Ware continued to be produced at the Anchor Road works.

 

 

Previously: J T Hudden 

 


The British Anchor Pottery Company Limited
( Late J T Hudden)
Anchor Road, Longton, Staffordshire

Manufacturers if Earthenware, &c.,
in Table and Toilet Ware, suitble for all markets
The whole of the Shapes and patterns of the late
Proprietor have been purchased by the Company

The Pottery Gazette,  January 1885 

 

 


earthenware plate by the British Anchor Pottery Company Ltd

photo courtesy: Martin Warrilow  


B A PY CY Ltd

the registration diamond shows that the pattern was registered on the 31st March 1881
and so the pattern was first registered by their predecessors J T Hudden 

 

 

 

 


jug - pre 1891 

courtesy: Jessica Brooks 

 

 

Plate in the JAPAN pattern
Plate in the JAPAN pattern

 

 


British Anchor 
Made in England


this style of anchor mark used 1945 - mid 1950s

photos courtesy:  Steven Carpenter 

 

 


1960's - 70's coffee set in the Impact pattern

Hostess Table Ware

British Anchor Pottery introduced the Hostess Table Ware brand name in 1961.  

Some existing patterns, such as the traditional "Merrie Olde England" were included in the Hostess range. These were produced alongside contemporary designs, some of which were designed by John Russell. 

 

 

 


Hostess  Table Ware
British Anchor
EST 1884
Staffordshire
England
5-61

[note the date code 5-61 for May 1961]


Cornflower is a pattern name

 


Merrie Olde 
England
Hostess  Table Ware
Made in England
EST 1884
Ironstone

 

 


1960's 'Debonair' Hostess  Casserole

British Anchor Pottery introduced the Hostess brand name in 1961

 


milk jug in the Camelot pattern - designed by John Russell

this pattern continued to be made by Hostess Tableware Ltd
CAMELOT
Hostess
British Anchor
Staffs - England 

 

 

Marks & Initials used on ware for identification:

B A P C LTD

B A P Co LTD

BRITISH ANCHOR

 

BRITISH ANCHOR
POTTERY

mark used 1910 onwards

 

REGENCY 
[introduced 1952+] 

MONTMARTRE WARE 
[introduced 1954+] 

RICHMOND 
[introduced 1958+] 

HOSTESS TABLE WARE 
[introduced 1961+] 

TRIANON WARE 
[introduced 1961+] 

often a crown is used - associated with the name "BRITISH ANCHOR"

 


B A P Co  Ltd

the registration number dates from 1885

 


B A PY CY Ltd


LONGTON is the town where the 
pottery works was located 

FLORA is the pattern name

courtesy: 'Staffordshire Potters 1781-1900' R K Henrywood 

 

 

1884 to 1891 

1891 to 1913 

early marks with the letters BPL
intertwined over an anchor
"ENGLAND" added from 1891

the numbers appearing above the mark are likely
to be pattern numbers

 

 


JAPAN is the pattern name

mark used 1913-40


printed mark together with 
impressed mark "BRITISH ANCHOR"

 

British Anchor 
Made in England


this style of anchor mark used 1945+ and appears to have been replaced by
a crown mark in the early to mid 1950s

 


mark used 1945+
[the name of differing patterns appears with this standard mark]

 


mark used 1954+

[note the date code 12-58 for December 1958]

 


British Anchor 
Staffordshire England

IMPACT is the pattern name

mark 1960's - 70's


British Anchor 
Staffordshire England
Ye Olde History Pottery


Ye Olde History Pottery
supplied by
British Anchor Pottery
Staffordshire 
England

British Anchor introduced a series of historic scenes and
Willow style plates and cup & saucer sets under
the name 'Ye Olde Historical Pottery' 

probably the 1960s

 

 

 
impressed mark 

although these marks look similar to the british Anchor mark
they are from Gustave De Bruyn in Fives, Lille, France

 

Blue bird pattern ware

In 1922 A. E Jones introduced a range of ware featuring stylised blue birds in flight on a light blue background with white clouds.

Hollow ware usually had a silvered lid or rim. 

The registration number 693121 shows that the pattern was first registered in 1922. 

Ware appears with and without the stylised initials 'GF.B' 

British Anchor Pottery also produced the same pattern - on ware produced by them a small anchor appears underneath the initials 'GF.B', sometimes accompanied by a mark with the letters BPL intertwined over an anchor. 

The initials 'GF.B' have sometimes, mistakenly, been attributed to George Frederick Bowers. Although the owner of the initials is unknown.   

 


lidded biscuit barrel in the stylised blue bird pattern

 


GF.B
Made in 
England
GF.B
Made in 
England

marks on the blue bird pattern produced by British Anchor Pottery


Rd No 693121
GF.B
Made in 
England
Palissy

mark on the identical blue bird pattern produced by Albert E Jones   

 

 

 

 

One of the parishioners of the nearby St. James Church
outside The British Anchor Pottery works in Anchor Road

photo: 1960's   


the British Anchor Pottery at the corner of Anchor Road and Bath Street

The British Anchor Pottery is shown by the dark blue rectangle

The works of Sampson Bridgwood & Son (also called the Anchor Pottery) 
is marked by the light blue circle 

(map is combination of 1898 and 1922 maps)

 

Questions, comments, contributions: email: Steve Birks