Thomas Hughes






 

Location and period of operation:

T Hughes

Burslem

c.1855

1894

 

Earthenware and ironstone manufacturer at the Waterloo Works, Burslem, then the Top Bridge and Unicorn Works Longport,  Stoke-on-Trent, England.

 

  • In 1820 a Thomas Hughes established the Waterloo Road Works. These works were carried on by him and then his successors Stephen Hughes & Co until about 1856.


  • From c.1855 to 1881 Thomas Hughes (grand son of the original potter) continued in the works. He enlarged, improved and modernised the works.

  • In 1881 Hughes moved to the Top Bridge Works in Longport and in 1888 he purchased the Longport Pottery (which he renamed to the Unicorn Works) works he purchased from Davenports. 

  • The Longport Works was a large pottery with many buildings. Hughes demolished some of the the buildings, letting others to other potters and by 1893 had started to move his manufactory here from the Top Bridge Works.

  • In 1895 the business was renamed to Thomas Hughes (& Son)

NOTE: Godden - Guide to Ironstone, Stone & Granite wares - identifies this Thomas Hughes with the Thomas Hughes of the partnership Hughes, Bennett (& Bates)

 

Subsequently: Thomas Hughes and Son (Ltd)

 


Potworks operated by Thomas Hughes


Waterloo Road Works
Burslem
Top Bridge Works
Longport
Unicorn Works
Longport
c. 1855 to 1881  1881 - c. 1893 1888 - 1957

"Waterloo Road Works, established in 1820 (on the site of a very old pottery  on Bournes Bank.. by Mr. Thomas Hughes (grandfather, of the present owner), and carried on by him and his successors, Stephen Hughes & Co., till about 1856, since which time they have been continued solely by the present Mr. Thomas Hughes, by whom the whole place has been enlarged, improved, and modernised. The manufactory is now considered to be one of the best arranged in the town."

Around 1881 Thomas Hughes purchased the Top Bridge Works from Davenports and he moved his business here from the Waterloo Works, Burslem.

In 1888 Thomas Hughes purchased the Longport Pottery - also from Davenports. This was a large pottery with many buildings. 

Hughes renamed the works to the Unicorn Works demolished some of the the buildings, and let some of the buildings to other potters. 

By 1893 Hughes had started to move his business from the adjoining Top Bridge Works 

- more on the Top Bridge Works - - more on the Unicorn Works -

 

 

 


 

Selected by the Committee for the Staffordshire Potteries 
to exhibit at the Paris Universal Exhibition of 1855 

 

 


 

 


white ironstone chamber pot

- more on ironstone -


Ironstone China
Thomas Hughes

mark incorporating the 
Royal Arms

 

 

 


 

     white ironstone serving tureen

 


 


white ironstone dish 

Thomas Hughes
Burslem 

manufactured c.1855-81

white ironstone recovered from the Columbia River in Oregon, USA

 


 


plate in the Shapoo pattern

This pattern was first produced by T & R Boote who likely sold the pattern engravings to Hughes around 1888 when Boote stopped manufacture of decorated ware.   

Manufacture of the Shapoo pattern was continued by T. Hughes & Son


SHAPOO
T Hughes

 

 


photos courtesy: Cy Coleman

  


 

Marks used on ware for identification:

Note: Marks with "& Son" are after 1894 Thomas Hughes (& Son)

 

THOMAS HUGHES
IRONSTONE CHINA

 

THOMAS HUGHES
BURSLEM

Marks with 'BURSLEM' are c.1855-81

 

THOMAS HUGHES
LONGPORT

Marks with 'LONGPORT' are c.1881-94 

 


 


T Hughes
Burslem 

Simpler design mark and likely earlier in the period

SITKA is the pattern name 


Thomas Hughes
Burslem 

mark incorporating the Royal Arms 

c.1855-81

BURSLEM is the town where the first works was located 

 


 


Thomas Hughes
LONGPORT 

CANNES is the pattern name

c.1881-94 

1881 was the date that Thomas Hughes moved to the Top Bridge factory in Longport

The registration diamond shows that the pattern 'CANNES' was first registered on the 22 Feb 1869. So the pattern was registered when Hughes was at the Waterloo Works in Burslem 

 


 


Ironstone China
Thomas Hughes

Stone China
Thomas Hughes

marks used on ironstone ware incorporating the Royal Arms 

c.1855-94   


 

Ironstone China
Thomas Hughes
79
Thomas Hughes
Burslem

printed and impressed mark found on the same ironstone plate
the '79' is possible the year of manufacture - i.e. 1879 

 




Thomas Hughes
Burslem

shard found on Doheny State Beach, California - May 2023

courtesy: Tom & Kristy McEwen

 


Questions, comments, contributions? email: Steve Birks