John Rose & Co
Coalport Porcelain Works
Coalport China Co
Coalport China Ltd






 

Location and period of operation:

Name

Location

Under the ownership of

operational dates

John Rose & Co

Coalport, Shropshire

Rose family

1799

1889

Coalport China Co

Coalport, Shropshire

Brough family

1889

1924/5

 

Coalport China Co

Cauldon Place Works, Shelton

Cauldon Potteries Ltd

1926

1933/5

Coalport China Co  Crescent Potteries, Stoke (Crescent Works) Harrison family 1935 1958
Coalport China Ltd Fenton (Foley Works) Elijah Brain & Co 1958 1967
  Fenton ( Foley Works) Wedgwood 1967 1985
  Fenton (Minerva Works - previously Crown Staffordshire) Wedgwood 1985 2000
  Barlaston Wedgwood 2000 at least 2010

 

 

China manufacturer originally at Coalport, Shropshire and from 1926 at various locations in Stoke-on-Trent, England. 
  • This entry focuses on the history of Coalport after its relocation to Stoke-on-Trent. For earlier Coalport history see this article.

  • Following financial difficulties at Coalport China the business was rescued when, in 1924 it was purchased by Cauldon Potteries (who, in turn, were owned by J. A. Robinson & Sons). 

  • In 1926 Coalport manufacture was moved from Shropshire to the Cauldon Place works in Shelton, Stoke-on-Trent. 

  • Robinson’s businesses, especially those exporting to North America suffered from the effects of the Great Depression and in 1932 Cauldon Potteries Ltd was placed in receivership. The Cauldon Potteries Ltd assets were sold and Cauldon Potteries Ltd and its Coalport subsidiary were acquired by Harrison & Son (Hanley) Ltd - who were an established supplier of pigments and glazes for the pottery industry.  

  • In 1935 the Harrison family consolidated their pottery interests at their George Jones & Sons Ltd (Crescent China) works in Stoke and the three firms (George Jones, Cauldon and Coalport) operated as a group although maintaining their separate identities.

  • In 1951 the group was reorganised: George Jones output ceased and the focus was on the Coalport business under the name 'Coalport China Ltd'.  

  • Manufacturing at the large Crescent Pottery works in Stoke became increasingly uneconomic and in 1955 Harrison purchased the Fenton based works of Samuel Radford Ltd (who had ceased trading) with the intention of moving the Coalport manufacturing to the smaller site. This move did not happen and in 1958 the Coalport business ceased operation. 

  • In October of 1958 the fine china operations of the George Jones group, primarily Coalport but including parts of the Cauldon Potteries Ltd and George Jones businesses were sold to E. Brain & Co. Ltd who recommenced manufacture of Coalport ware. 

  • From 1963 E. Brain & Co traded solely under the Coalport name and use of the Brain name and marks ceased. 

  • In 1967 Josiah Wedgwood & Sons acquired the share capital of E. Brain & Co., including the Coalport subsidiary. Wedgwood continued the Coalport name as one of its core brands.

  • In 1985 Wedgwood moved the production of Coalport ware from the E. Brian Foley Works to the nearby Crown Staffordshire Minerva Works, which was also owned by Wedgwood. Upon this move the Crown Staffordshire name disappeared. 

  • In 2000 the manufacture of Coalport ware was moved to a purpose built facility at the main Wedgwood factory in Barlaston. Wedgwood maintained the Coalport brand until at least 2010. 

 

 




plate in the Revelry pattern

Bone China 
Coalport
Made in England
Est 1750 

 


 

an 'agent's plate produced by Elijah Brain (the owners of Coalport from 1958 to 67, showing the Coalport patterns produced at the time 

the plate has an impressed 6/65 which is the month/year of manufacturer - June 1965 

 

photos courtesy: Matt Rungie, whose family were agents for Coalport in Australia

 

 


 

 

Crescent Pottery

Painted sign on the wall reads 'Crescent Pottery' 
in the back right is the rear of the Royal Doulton Minton offices.
at some time Coalport moved to the Crescent Works in Stoke.

photo June 2000

 


 

The Coalport Minerva Works
The Coalport Minerva Works

Demolished late 2001

Photo: 2000

more on Minerva Works

 


Questions, comments, contributions? email: Steve Birks