Sampson Smith

Location and period of operation:

  (See sources)

Earthenware manufacturer. Also producing china in the 20thC. Barker Street, Longton, Stoke-on-Trent. Became limited (Ltd) company in c.1918

Sampson Smith's & Barker Bros. were owned by the Hewitt brothers. Gerald Hewitt directed Sampson Smith's & Arnold Hewitt, Barker Bros.

In 1954 became part of the Alfred Clough Group.

"The Sutherland Works - These works were established in Barker Street in about 1860 by Sampson Smith, at whose death they passed into the hands of John Adderley, who continued the production of china tea and other services, silver and gold lustre, and china figures and ornaments, using the old style of Sampson Smith. 
Sampson Smith established his first works in the High Street in c. 1846. 
He must be regarded as one of the largest producers of Staffordshire earthenware figures and dogs. An advertisement of 1883 reads: ‘Figures, all kinds and sizes. Dogs, white and gold, black and gold, red and white, and black and white. Jet and gold tea pots and kettles, silver lustre tea pots, etc. etc.’ 
This nineteenth-century Smith ware is very rarely marked. The firm continued into the twentieth century and became a limited company in 1918. 
In about 1934, they moved to the Wetley Works.
Rare examples of Sampson Smith’s figures bear a relief-moulded name mark. 
Two such marked examples are shown [here]. How ever, most figures were not marked. A page from a twentieth-century Sampson Smith catalogue is shown [here]."
Jewitt's 'Ceramic Art of Great Britain 1800-1900"

Initials used on ware for identification:

SAMPSON SMITH

SS

WETLEY CHINA

OLD ROYAL CHINA

OLD ROYAL BONE CHINA

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The above information may not be available
for all potters - if you have information to
help complete the records then I would be
happy to include it.
email: Steve Birks

updated: Nov 2006