Ridgway Potteries Ltd






 

Location and period of operation:

Ridgway Potteries Ltd

various works

Feb 1955

1972

 

Earthenware and china manufacturer at various locations in Stoke-on-Trent, England
  • Ridgway Potteries came out of a period of reorganisation of Lawley Group pottery companies.  

  • In 1954 Ridgway & Adderley Ltd merged with Booths & Colclough's Ltd and from 1st January 1955 was known as  Ridgway, Adderley, Booths & Colcloughs Ltd

  • From 28th February 1955 the shorter name Ridgway Potteries Ltd was adopted. 

  • As part of the restructure, in addition to 'acquiring' Booths & Colclough Ltd, Ridgway Potteries Ltd became the holding company for the associate businesses of Adderleys Ltd. The eight companies in the business were: 

     

  • In 1964 the Lawley Group acquired Royal Crown Derby Porcelain Co. Ltd and Thomas C. Wild & Sons Ltd, the expanded Lawley Group adopted the name Allied English Potteries until the merger with Royal Doulton in 1972.

  • Ridgway continued to produce with marks under its own name until at least 1978. The 'Ridgway Earthenware' trade name was used by Doulton until at least 1982.   

information on Lawley Group courtesy of Michael Perry: 'A Handbook of British Pottery Manufacturers 1900-2010' 

 


 

 

Ridgway, Adderley Booths & 
Colcloughs Limited
 
(now Ridgway Potteries Ltd)

 

This is one of the largest companies manufacturing bone china and earthenware in the world. The ware produced at the eight factories owned by the company is representative of all the products of the potteries of Staffordshire, ranging from the beautiful hand-painted patterns of Adderley fine bone china and the famous Booths prints, some of them taken from the original Davenport engravings, to the various ranges of earthenware tea and dinnerware of the Ridgway and Royal Swan factories and the vast production of reasonably priced bone china teaware for which the name Colclough is so widely known.

Although steeped in the traditions of the industry - for example, Booths became established as a high-grade earthenware manufacturing business in the early nineteenth century, and many of its patterns in current production have been produced continuously since that date - Ridgway, Adderley Booths & Colcloughs Limited are not content to live in the past. With all the improvements of modern manufacturing plant at their disposal and the results of continuous research into the demans of the future, this company takes its place amongst the leading producers of china and earthenware at the present time.

(Ridgway Potteries Ltd., Ash Hall, Stoke-on-Trent.)    

Prestige and Progress - A Survey of Industrial North Staffordshire
1955 publication of North Staffordshire Chamber of Commerce - page 77

 


 

Prestige and Progress - A Survey of Industrial North Staffordshire
1955 publication of North Staffordshire Chamber of Commerce - page 5

 


 

Ridgway Potteries Ltd., Ash Hall, Stoke-on-Trent

One of the largest pottery combines in existence, eight factories comprise the group, the oldest of which is Booths, which was already established in the eighteenth century as producers of high-grade earthenware. There is, in the Victoria and Albert Museum, a large dish dated 1757 with the name of Enoch Booth of Tunstable. Many of the patterns produced at the present time have been in continuous use since the early Victorian days. They have long been famed for their fine tableware, particularly their Salopian blue as used on their litho-printed vases. For example, one of their most popular designs is 'British Scenery', one of Booths collection of Davenport engravings. The original copper plates, engraved by Davenport, in the early nineteenth century, are still used in the production of this pattern.

Another very popular design is their version of the old Willow Pattern. Here their Salopian blue is distinctive and is emphasised by the gold line edge and by their special 'Majestic Shape'. Several other shapes are also produced, one of which, the Ribstone, includes a popular favourite called 'Blue Mist' – a delicate pastel blue body which lends itself admirably to contemporary decoration. Both Her late Majesty Queen Mary and H.R.H. the Duchess of Kent have been supplied with Booths earthenware.

Colclough, at Regent Works, produce bone china tea ware. The firm was established in 1895 by Herbert J. Colclough, a former Lord Mayor of Stoke and a man of great repute 'among all sections of the community. It is said that, at the beginning of his career as a potter he used to fire two ovens himself. Many times, after working all day, he would sit beside his ovens all night, so anxious was he to achieve success.

He seemed to thrive on hard work and consequently made a success of his business. In 1907 he took over the Osborne Works at Longton and in 1918 he added the Regent Works, which had been in production since 1850. A red letter day for the founder was when, in 1913, the late King George V and Queen Mary visited his Vale factory in the course of the tour of the Potteries, hence the Royal Vale backstamp which is still in use on certain Colclough ranges. The Regent Works has undergone extensive reconstruction and, at the present day, the company can boast of being the largest individual bone china producing unit in the industry.

Ridgways, at Bedford Works, Shelton, was founded by Edward J. Ridgway, son of the famous Master Potter William Ridgway of Hanley. Well-known in the ceramic industry in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, Job and George Ridgway, of Shelton, are mentioned on Allbuts' map of 1802, and in 1820 they were making extensively for the American market, being among the leading potters supplying the New World with decorated wares-showing American buildings, scenery, arms of the United States, portraits of Washington and other Americana. John Ridgway was honoured by being appointed Potter to Her Majesty Queen Victoria and earned high commendation at the 1851 Exhibition. The catalogue informs the Victorian public that 'The Establishment of Mr. Ridgway is one of the largest and among the best conducted of the many factories of Staffordshire'. Ridgway materially assisted in establishing a School of Design and founded a scholarship in this connection. The present firm specialises in vitrified wares, tiles and a full range of earthenware tea and dinner sets.

Adderly fine bone china tea and dinner ware has been made for several years at the Paladin and Gainsborough works, but is now made only at the Paladin factory. The Gainsborough works was formerly the Daisy Bank factory of the eighteenth century, taken over by Adderleys about 1860.

Also included in the Group are the Portland factory (for a full range of tea and dinner ware), the North Staffordshire Pottery, concentrating on vitrified hotel ware, including the well-known 'Vitrock quality' and the Adderley Floral and Figurine China factory in Longton. Ash Hall has been their headquarters since 1952 – a large country house, providing an unusual and attractive setting for the display of products made at the different factories.

British Potters and Pottery Today - 1956

 


 

Ash Hall - the headquarters of Ridgway Potteries Ltd
Ash Hall - the headquarters of Ridgway Potteries Ltd

on Ash Hall

 


 

Ridgway 'Windsor' pattern 

Windsor was Ridgway's version of the popular Asiatic Pheasants transferware pattern.

Ridgway produce complete tea and dinner ware in the Windsor pattern. Usually produced in a green mono-chrome although blue, broen, pink and black transfer patterns were produced. Occasionaly the pattern was hand painted. 

This pattern was likely produced from the 1950s and continued all through the merger into the Lawley Group and the ultimate take over by Royal Doulton - who produced china ware with the name "Ridgways Windsor" until at least 1982.


 


Windsor in a blue mono-chrome pattern

Windsor in a green pattern with hand painted colour

 

during the 1960s the month/year of manufacture was introduced and
printed either side of the backstamp....

the 1 is the month - January
the 78 is the year - 1978

 


 

typical Ridgway 'Windsor' pattern marks - with no manufacturing date 

 

    


 


2 / 68 - February 1968

 produced under the  Group name
Allied English Potteries


2 / 73 - February 1973 

produced after the merger with 
Royal Doulton in 1972

  

 


1 / 66 - January 1966

Allied English Potteries


1 / 69 - January 1969

Allied English Potteries


1 / 78 - January 1978

Royal Doulton

 

 

Produced 1981 onwards - Ridgways 'Windsor' used as a trade name of Royal Doulton 



 

 

Marks used on ware for identification:

Many of the subsidiary original marks and names continued to be used, however from around 1960 marks may also include 'A Product of Ridgway Potteries Ltd' 

In 1964 the Lawley Group (owners of Ridgway Potteries Ltd) acquired Royal Crown Derby Porcelain Co. Ltd and Thomas C. Wild & Sons Ltd, the expanded Lawley Group adopted the name Allied English Potteries until the merger with Royal Doulton in 1972.

Ridgway continued to produce with marks under its own name until at least 1978. The 'Ridgway Earthenware' trade name was used by Doulton until at least 1982.    

 

 


 


Booth's Royal Swan

The trade name 'Royal Swan' was introduced on earthenware made by the  
Booths division of Booths & Colclough (c.1950-54) - the name Booths was
also included. 

Following mergers in February 1955 the name Royal Swan was used without the Booths name.   

 


Royal Swan 

with the manufacturing date
12-55 (December 1955) 


Royal Swan 

Royal Swan 

with the manufacturing date
8-57 (August 1957) 

The registration number 734447 shows the date of registration of the pattern as 1928
this is from when Booths were operating on their own 
  

 


 

The following marks were used by the subsidiary potteries of Ridgway Potteries Ltd
from around 1960 marks may also include 'A Product of Ridgway Potteries Ltd'

 


Ridgway 
Portland Pottery
Cobridge

c.1953-56

Royal Adderley
Ridgway Potteries Ltd
Royal Adderley

 

Royal Adderley
Ridgway Potteries Ltd
Royal Adderley

Colclough
Colclough
a product of 
Ridgway Potteries Ltd
Royal Vale
Royal Vale
a product of 
Ridgway Potteries Ltd

 



VITROCK
Ridgway Potteries Ltd
VITROCK
Strong as a rock

with the manufacturing date
6-53 (June 1953) 


North Staffordshire 
Pottery Co. Ltd
ENGLAND 
RIDGWAY

mark used 1952+

 

 


  

Typical marks used by the "Ridgway Potteries Ltd" company

 


Ridgway of Staffordshire
"Queenston" is the pattern name
"HERITAGE" is the series name

- this style of mark was also 
used pre 1955 -


Ridgway Potteries Ltd
Made in Staffordshire
"HOMEMAKER" is the style name

with the manufacturing date
2-62 (February 1962) 


Ridgway 
Made in Staffordshire England
"White Mist" is the pattern name

 

 


 


SR
Ridgway 
IRONSTONE
Staffordshire 
England

"Canterbury" is the pattern name

with the manufacturing date
2-73 (February 1973) 

 


SR
made in
Staffordshire
England
IRONSTONE 

The Potteries Museum comments on this mark:- 

"We have a handwritten note in our edition of Godden stating "SR with lion on each side and crown on top.  Ridgways".  Unfortunately, there is no note to explain this.  I have to say that the mark looks recent, and not particularly like at Staffordshire mark.  However, it could have been a late Ridgways production for the American market."

This comment, coupled with the Ridgway mark which has "SR" at the top and also is marked "IRONSTONE" seems to support Ridgway Potteries as the maker.

 

 


Questions, comments, contributions? email: Steve Birks