Hollinshead & Kirkham (Ltd)






 

Location and period of operation:

Hollinshead & Kirkham (Ltd)

Burslem
Tunstall

c1870 
c1876


1956

 

Earthenware manufacturer, originally at Burslem and then at Tunstall, Stoke-on-Trent, England. 

  • The original partners were John William Hollinshead, Samuel Hollinshead and Samuel Kirkam. (It is likely that Hollinshead & Kirkham were in another partrnership together - Robinson, Kirkham & Co

  • Around 1876 they took over the Woodland Pottery in Tunstall.

  • In November 1878 Samuel Hollinshead left the partnership. 

  • Following the death of J. W. Hollinshead - Eliza, Alfred William, John and Edward Hollinshead (executors of J. W. Hollinshead) became partners with Samuel Kirkam. 

  • In 1890 the Unicorn Pottery in Tunstall, previously worked by Wedgwood & Co., had been rebuilt and the business of Hollinshead & Kirkham moved here. 

  • In January 1891 the partnership was dissolved and the business was carried on by John Kirkham and George Frederick Helé under the same title of Hollinshead & Kirkham. (George F. Helé had previously been a partner in Cumberlidge, Humphreys & Helé)

  • In December 1902 G. F. Helé left the partnership.

  • Around 1915 (the later famous) Clarice Cliff was a lithographer at Hollinshead & Kirkham for a few years, at this time she attended evening classes at the Burslem School of Art and at the age of 17 went to work for A. J. Wilkinson.

  • In the 1930s Hollinshead & Kirkham introduced hand painted 'fruit' tableware and art deco shapes - with pattern names like 'Luscious' and 'Autumn' these attractive wares mimic the Worcester fruit painted wares.

  • In a 1951 directory the company officers were listed as - Managing Director: W. P. Wood; Sales Manager: B. S. Hancock; Director & Secretary: G. Whalley; Works Manager: E. Jones.

  • In a 1956 directory the company officers were listed as - Managing Director: F. Wood; Sales Director: B. S. Hancock; Decorating Manager: R. Grocott; Works Manager: J. Gibson.

  • In March 1956 the business was voluntarily wound up. The factory was purchased by Johnson Bros (Hanley) Ltd.

 

 


 

Amicable Street
Tunstall 

 

from..... 1907 Staffordshire Sentinel 
'Business Reference Guide to The Potteries, Newcastle & District'

 


 


Hollinshead & Kirkham Ltd
General Earthenware Manufacturers
Unicorn Pottery, Tunstall, Stoke-on-Trent

1951 advert - Pottery Gazette Reference Book 

 


 

The London Gazette
12 November 1878


notice that Samuel Kirkham had left the partnership 

 


 

The London Gazette
3 February 1891


notice of the dissolution of the partnership at the time
 - the business carried on by John Kirkham and George Frederick Helé 
under the same title of Hollinshead & Kirkham. 

 

George Frederick Helé had previously been a 
partner in Cumberlidge, Humphreys & Helé

 


 

The London Gazette
26 December 1902

 


notice that George Frederick Helé had left
the partnership

 


 

The London Gazette
15 March 1957

 


notice of the voluntary winding up of Hollinshead & Kirkham

 


 


printed with outline with hand colouring  

Pekin is a European design of a stylized Asian scene


H & K

c.1870 - c.1900

 

  


 


printed transfer ware in the Asiatic Pheasants pattern

- more on Asiatic Pheasants -



Asiatic Pheasants
H & K

c.1870 - c.1900

Marks on Asiatic Pheasants ware included H & K and impressed H & K late Wedgwood

any marks including 'late Wedgwood' are after 1890 when
Hollinshead & Kirkham took over the Unicorn Pottery which
had previously been worked by Wedgwood & Co

 


 


printed design in the FRUITS pattern 

H & K
late
Wedgwood

c.1890+

 


 


blue & white printed dinner service in the Davenport shape

Hollinshead & Kirkham
Tunstall
England

DAVENPORT is the shape name

c.1900-24

 


 


vase in the hand painted 'gaiety' series

R Grocott was the Decorating manager


Made in England
H & K
Tunstall

1933-42

 


 


hand painted 'Autumn' pattern 

Made in England
H & K
Tunstall

1933-42

 

Hollinshead & Kirkham "produced hand painted 'fruit' tableware and art deco shapes during the 1930s. With pattern names like 'Luscious' and 'Autumn' these attractive wares mimic the Worcester fruit painted wares and have even been called the 'poor man's Royal Worcester'."

Michael Perry A Handbook of British Pottery. Manufacturers 1900-2010

 

   


 

 

 


mid century simple design for tableware

Hollinshead  Kirkham
H K
Tunstall
Made in England

1954-56

 


 


fragment of a Hollinshead & Kirkham mark - 
found in an archaelogical dig in Quebec City - Spring 2010

 


 

Marks & initials used on ware for identification:

 

H & K

H & K
TUNSTALL

initials used with impressed or various printed marks

 

H & K
LATE WEDGWOOD
impressed or printed mark dating from c.1890 onwards when
Hollinshead & Kirkham took over Wedgwood & Co's Unicorn Pottery 
.. used until around 1900)

 


 


H & K

c.1870-1900 


 


H & K
late
Wedgwood

Ironstone China
H & K
late
Wedgwood

impressed or printed mark dating from c.1890 onwards when
Hollinshead & Kirkham took over Wedgwood & Co's Unicorn Pottery 
.. used until around 1900)

  


 


Hollinshead & Kirkham
Tunstall 
England 

'Cambridge' is the shape name 


Made in England
H & K
Tunstall

 

1900-24 

   


 

    
HOLKIRK WARE

'KATANO' is the pattern name

sometimes this mark includes the initials H&K

1924-56

 


 

    
Made in England
H & K
Tunstall

1933-42 

 



Made in England
H & K
Tunstall

this mark with the large letter 'B'
was used on ware produced for export under the
Wartime Concentration Scheme


 


Hollinshead  Kirkham
H K
Tunstall
Made in England

1954-56

 


 

the Hollinshead & Kirkham Unicorn Pottery works in Amicable Street, Tunstall
the Hollinshead & Kirkham Unicorn Pottery works in Amicable Street, Tunstall
(1898 map)

- click for more on the Unicorn pottery -

 


Questions, comments, contributions? email: Steve Birks