the local history of Stoke-on-Trent, England

thepotteries.org

  

Harold Owen -  The Staffordshire Potter

 

 

This is a transcription of the book 'The Staffordshire Potter'
published in 1901 by William Owen


 

The Staffordshire Potter, published in 1901 by Harold Owen (1872-1930) is a study of the pottery industry in North Staffordshire, England and the working lives of the potters during the nineteenth century. 

The book focuses on the development of the trade, the conditions faced by workers, and the growth of organised labour in the Potteries.

Owen describes how low wages, irregular employment, and the authority of manufacturers led potters to form trade unions and organise strikes in an effort to improve conditions. He traces important labour disputes and the gradual emergence of collective bargaining within the industry.

The book also highlights the difficult and often unhealthy working environment in pottery manufacture. A chapter by Millicent Sutherland-Leveson-Gower (1867-1955) , Duchess of Sutherland examines the dangerous processes involved in pottery production and calls attention to the need for safer working practices.

Overall, the book provides a concise account of the social, industrial, and labour history of the Staffordshire potteries and the challenges faced by the workers who sustained the industry.

 

 


next: Prologue "There is a chain of towns in North Staffordshire.."


select from the list below or click 'next' to step through each chapter

 

Chapter Title & Summary
Prologue "There is a chain of towns in North Staffordshire.."
The name of "The Potteries" - Longton & Tunstall, what and where are they? - The industrial struggles - malign influence exercised by Trade Unions - The history of the Potters Unions -  
1 The Early Days of Union

The "Butter-Pot" Period - The artistic and industrial development of the potting trade in the eighteenth century — Masters and workmen in pre-Trades Union days— The first Potters' Union— The strike and collapse of 1825 — Robert Owen's first visit — The Union of 1833 — Its praiseworthy objects — Co-operation of masters and men to check competition — Opposition of the main body of employers — The strike of 1834 — Victory of the Union
2 The Great Strike of 1836

The employers close their ranks — The Potteries Chamber of Commerce — The customs of the trade attacked by the men — "Good-from-oven" and Annual Hiring — Failure of negotiations— The great strike of 1836-37 — Heroic struggle of the men — Help from other Unions — Sacrifices by those on strike— Their destitution — The Betley Conference — Demoralisation and break-up of the Union — The "Allowance System " crops up
3 Revival of unionism in the "Forties"

Revival of unionism in 1843 — The Potters* Examiner started — Guerilla warfare — Unionism in out-potteries — The "muffin" becomes a "twiffler"— The Truck Act evaded — Lack of uniformity in working and selling prices — The " Allowance System " abolished — " Good-from-oven " again
4 Machinery, and the Fears of the Potters

The introduction of machinery into the potting trade — Alarm of the workpeople — Surplus labour and emigration projects — William Evans — "The Potters' Joint-Stock Emigration Society " — Feargus O'Connor's alternative scheme rejected — The introduction of machinery gives an impetus to emigration — Strikes condemned : Emigration the order of the day
5 Emigration - and after

The Five Thousand Pounds Fund — The Emigration Scheme in operation — Pioneers for America — Funds come slowly in — " Pottersville, U.S.A." — Dissensions in the Union — Rival emigration schemes — The functions of the Union forgotten — Land purchased in Wisconsin — "The Scourge" makes its appearance — Flagging faith in emigration — Proposed " Potters' Store" — Dissensions at home and in Wisconsin — Collapse of the emigration movement — The Union buried in its ruins — Employers' efforts to advance selling prices — Neglected opportunities by the Union — Reductions in wages — Disorganisation of the men
6 The Era of Arbitration

Trades Unions and the Legislature — Their general growth — Revival of Unionism in the Potteries — The Potters' Examiner (1863)— The lock-out of 1865— The last of Annual Hiring — Industrial Arbitration — The Potteries Board of Arbitration (1868) — "Good-from-oven" before the Board — Constitutional effort to abolish it — Opposition of the employers — Workmen's continued efforts to alter "trade usages" — The Board of Arbitration in danger — Preparing for a strike — " Good-from-oven" re-affirmed
7 Wages and Selling Prices

A period of prosperity — Workmen's wages advanced (1871-2) — The wave gradually subsides — The employers appeal for a reduction in wages — The "selling-price" doctrine examined — Its injustice to the workmen — The Arbitration of 1877 — Award against the employers — The Umpire's reasons — The effect of the award : Increase of machinery — "Compensation for disturbance " to the workmen
8 "Lord Hatherton's Penny"

The employers appeal again — Lord Hatherton, Umpire (1879) — Selling prices again — Incidents of the Arbitration — Difficulties of the workmen — Increase of trade, but decrease in selling prices — Award against the men — " Lord Hatherton's Penny" — General effect of the award
9 The Brassey Arbitration, and the strike of 1881

The workmen try to get their pennies back — The Brassey Arbitration (1880) — The workmen fight the selling-price doctrine — The Umpire sympathises with them — Difficulties of Arbitration — Verdict against the men — They are angry with Arbitration — The Board broken up — The men prepare for a strike — Their leaders endeavour to restrain them — A scheme of arbitration suggested — The strike of 1881 — Defeat of the men 
10 Piecing together the Shattered Idol

Attempts to reconstruct the Board — Apathy of men and masters — Difficulties in reviving the Board — Weakness of the workmen's unions — The Manufacturers' Association — Their attitude to uniformity of selling price
11 After a Century's Storm and Stress

Minor Disputes before the new Board — Manufacturers take action to raise selling prices — Failure to agree — The workmen ask : "Will you agree to let us coerce you?" — Scheme to raise selling prices and wages — The employers reject the offer — A reduction in wages "imperatively called for" — The workmen appeal for an advance — The masters proscribe the workmen's advocate — The last of The Potteries Board of Arbitration — An informal court created — The employers object to the workmen's arbitrator — The Arbitration of 1891 — Its negative result — Arbitration has had its day — Lock-out and strike of 1892 — Continual decline in selling prices — The American tariffs — Proposal of the American Potters — New schemes of trade organisation — An idea strikes the employers — Proposal to combine with their workpeople — Hope for a new era 
Epilogue An unfulfilled prophesy

An unfulfilled prophecy — The Masters' and Workmen's Alliance — The "solemn compact" signed — The movement collapses — The strike of 1900— The Duchess of Sutherland intervenes — Amicable settlement of the dispute — Five per cent, advance — Co-operation between Master and Man — Objections to the scheme — The scheme examined — Its ethics and its economics — A fair profit and a living wage — The necessity of the Staffordshire Potter — And his opportunity — What will he do with it ?
Sutherland On the Dangerous Processes in the Potting Industry
App 1 Wages and Hidings in Olden Times
App 2 The Use of Machinery and its Effect on Wages
App 3 The Wages of Potters
App 4 The Weakness of their Unions
App 5 Where and how the Workers live


 


next: Prologue "There is a chain of towns in North Staffordshire.."

 

 

 

Questions, comments, contributions? email: Steve Birks

 


Section History:

This section "The Staffordshire Potter" created 1 April 2026