Anthony Shaw's Mersey Pottery, Newport Lane, Burslem

Anthony Shaw's Mersey Pottery, Newport Lane, Burslem

Anthony Shaw's Mersey Pottery, Newport Lane, Burslem
Three major pottery works on Newport Lane were the
Mersey Pottery, Newport Pottery and Stanley Works

Shaw built the Mersey Pottery after leaving the Newport Pottery - he named it Mersey Pottery after Liverpool's River Mersey.

Liverpool was the port where pottery was taken for export to the Americas. Both the Newport and Mersey Potteries were built on the bank of the Trent and Mersey Canal.

Anthony Shaw's white ironstone

Shaw was famous for his "Tea Leaf" design: Beginning in the 1840's, English potters began to ship white ironstone ceramic ware to the U.S., decorated with lustre bands and/or simple motifs, made exclusively for the American market. Anthony Shaw is considered to have produced the original Tea Leaf motif on his Sydenham, Niagara Fan and Chinese Shape body styles, registered in 1856.

1827/8	Anthony Shaw was born in Cheddleton, Staffordshire.
1844	Shaw married his wife, Jane - together they had three children.
c.1851	He established himself as an earthenware manufacturer at the Newport Works. (situated at Middleport between the towns of Burslem & Tunstall). Shaw was living at "Newport House"
1855	Exporting ware to the United States (granite-ware & cream ware) and to South America (luster and painted ware) - in 1855 Shaw was awarded a medal at the Paris Exhibition.
1856	Shaw was famous for his "Tea Leaf" design, Anthony Shaw is considered to have produced the original Tea Leaf motif on his Sydenham, Niagara Fan and Chinese Shape body styles, registered in 1856.

tea leaf pattern

1857	Served as chief bailiff of Tunstall.
c.1860	Anthony Shaw build a new works alongside the Newport Works called the Mersey Pottery at Middleport, Burslem.
1862-72	Shaw served on the Burslem Board of Health.
1862	A new Wesleyan Methodist Chapel was built in the village of Milton. The site was given by A. Shaw.
c.1882	Shaw took one of his sons into partnership and marks on the ware was styles "Shaw & Son"
c.1898	Marks were styled "Shaw & Co", around this time the works were taken over by A.J.Wilkinson Ltd.
1900	19th January 1900 Shaw died at his home "Bank House", Buglawton, Cheshire.

contents: 2010 photos