Ellgreave Pottery Co Ltd






 

Location and period of operation:

Ellgreave Pottery Co Ltd

Burslem

1921

  1981

              

Earthenware manufacturer at Ellgreave Street, Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent, England

  • Established in 1921, on the site of the Dale Hall Brick & Tile Works, by Harry Wood (who, at this time, was chairman of the large pottery company Wood & Sons). Ellgreave pottery operated as an associate company of Wood & Sons. A number of the Wood family were on the board of directors.

  • Around 1923 Charlotte Rhead, who had been working at Wood and Sons since 1912, designed for the Ellgreave Pottery and had a considerable hand in modernising their designs. Much of her work was sold by Ellgreave under the trade name of Lottie Rhead Ware. 

  • The Ellgreave pottery also produced the ordinary or tubby Toby Jug around 1925, painting the jugs in bright colours such as orange, blue and yellow, which made it necessary to use the enamel over glaze technique. The production of Toby jugs fell into decline and was not revived until the early 1950s.

  • In 1937 the pottery was a Listed Exhibitor at the British Industries Fair and were exhibiting Ellgreave Tiles. Comprehensive range of White Body Tile and Faience Fireplaces. They exhibited "Several departures from orthodox ideas, including one Suite having Built-in Aquarium, giving revolutionary method of fireplace decoration".

  • The 1947 Pottery Gazette Directory listed the company officers as: Managing Director - H. F. Wood, Works Manager - B. Capper. H. F. Wood was also listed as the Managing Director of Wood & Sons

  • Ellgreave Pottery Co. Ltd. remained operational during the Second World War period producing 'jugs and beakers only'. 

  • In 1953 Ellgreave were advertising that they produced "More than 1,500,000 teapots per year" as well as "jugs, coffee pots and cocoa jugs in Rockingham and Samian, Fancies and comic animals". 

  • The 1956 Pottery Gazette Directory lists the company officers as: Chairman of Directors - H. F. Wood, Managing Director - B. Capper, Director - H. Francis Wood,  Secretary - A. R. Oulsnam. 

  • In 1967 the company was put into voluntary liquidation, along with a couple of other Wood companies. Production was taken over by Wood & Sons and moved to the recently modernised Trent and New Wharf Pottery where the name Ellgreave continued. 

                        

 

 


London Gazette
2 October 1931
 


notice authorising the employment of
women on shifts in pressing teapot lids

 


London Gazette
12 December 1967


notice of voluntary winding up

after 1967 the name Ellgreave continued as a division
of Wood & Sons, who were the owners of Ellgreave Pottery Co Ltd

 


 


Ellgreave Pottery Co Ltd
The Leader for Insulated Tableware

Now used exclusively by:-
Bursley Manufacturing Co.
"Heatmaster," Kosy Kraft Ltd.
A.E. Medway & Co Ltd.
"Mirabelle," "Regal,"
"Regency," "Teamaster"

Pottery Gazette and Glass Review, August 1956

see details of the 'HEATMASTER' range


Ellgreave Pottery Co Ltd
In each working minute we
produce 10 teapots

Pottery Gazette Reference Book 1956

 

 


 


 

 

Typical examples of ware produced:

After the Second World War Ellgreave introduced a range of insulated teapots / coffee pots. Marks included the company name and for the insulated ware the trade name 'HEATMASTER

The entry in the 1951 Pottery Gazette Reference Book records that the company produced...

"Earthenware, Jet and Rockingham, Red Ware and Samian... trinket sets, beer mugs, butter coolers, milk coolers, teapots, toby jugs."

The 1956 entry lists...

"Earthenware, Jet and Rockingham, Red Ware and Samian... teapots, teapot sets, toby jugs, fancies."

The 1960 entry lists...

"Earthenware and Red Ware... coffee ware, teapots, (brown, plain or banded), teapots (brown decorated), teapots (earthenware, decorated). 

 

 


teapot in the PEEL pattern

Ellgreave Pottery Co Ltd
Burslem  England

early style of mark c.1920/30s

 


 

 


teapot in the Tonquin pattern
           
this popular transfer-ware pattern was produced in green, brown and pink
 

ELLGREAVE ENGLAND

TONQUIN
Royal Crownford Ironstone
Staffordshire England

c.1947-67


 

 
gilt decorated teapot 
produced for export under the Wartime Concentration Scheme


Ellgreave Pottery Co Ltd
Burslem
England

the letter 'B' likely denotes that the ware was produced under the Wartime Concentration Scheme

c.1941-52

 


 


 


plain undecorated jug
likely produced for domestic use under the Wartime Concentration Scheme


Ellgreave Pottery Co Ltd
Burslem

the letter 'B' likely denotes that the ware was produced
under the Wartime Concentration Scheme

c.1941-52

 


 


Dalphinium pattern
c. 1930s
 

floral decorated teapot with gilt highlights
probably post 1952
Ellgreave Pottery Co Ltd were a major producer of teapots - in the 1950s
they were manking one and a half million teapots a year.

 


 

 


Ellgreave are best known in piggy bank terms for 
their 'Mr Pig', 'Mr Piggy' and 'Wiggy' range



female rabbit figure
male rabbit figures were also produced

approximatly 26cm (10in) high
produced in the 1940s
 

 

 


Post 1967

 

In 1967 the Ellgreave Pottery Co was put into voluntary liquidation, along with a couple of other Wood companies. 

Production was taken over by Wood & Sons and moved to the recently modernised Trent and New Wharf Pottery where the name Ellgreave continued. 



kitchen storage jars 
post 1967

 



 


tea cups and sugar bowl in the Saxony pattern
post 1967


Saxony
by
Wood & Sons
Potters for over 200 years
Ellgreave 
Burslem
England

 

 


 

Marks used on ware for identification:


Ellgreave Pottery Co
Burslem
England

early style of mark c.1920s


 


Ellgreave Pottery Co
Burslem  England


Made in England

Probably an Ellgreave mark 

early style of marks c.1920/30s

mark with the Stafford Knot - often including the pattern name

 


 


Ellgreave Pottery Co
Lottie Rhead Ware
Burslem  England



Ellgreave Pottery Co
Lottie Rhead Ware
Burslem  England

c.1947-67

 


 


Ellgreave Pottery Co
Burslem  
England

c.1947-67


Charlotte 
Royal Crownford Ironstone
Staffordshire England

c.1947-67


Ellgreave 
Burslem
England

probably post 1952

 


 



Ellgreave 
Staffordshire
Genuine
Heatmaster
England



"Heatmaster"
Made in England


After the Second World War Ellgreave introduced a range of insulated teapots / coffee pots. 
Marks included the company name and for the insulated ware the trade name 'HEATMASTER

 


 


Ellgreave England
(cast in)

H. J. Wood Ltd
BURSLEM
ENGLAND
(Printed) 

c.1948-67

H. J. Wood were an associate company
Members of the Wood family ran both companies
it is likely that when Ellgreave Pottery Co Ltd were very 
busy some of the ware was made at the H. J. Wood factory using
the Ellgreave moulds. 

 


 

Post 1967

 

In 1967 the Ellgreave Pottery Co was put into voluntary liquidation, along with a couple of other Wood companies. 

Production was taken over by Wood & Sons and moved to the recently modernised Trent and New Wharf Pottery where the name Ellgreave continued. 




Ellgreave 
A div. of Wood & Sons
England

 

 


Saxony
by
Wood & Sons
Potters for over 200 years
Ellgreave 
Burslem
England

any Ellgreave ware with Wood & Sons is post 1967

 


 


Ms Lorna Bailey
Old Ellgreave Pottery
Artware 
Burslem
England

NOTE: ware marked 'Old Ellgreave Pottery' 
was produced by Lorna Bailey from c.1998 onwards

this ware is not associated with the original Ellgreave Pottery


 


1925 map showing the location of the Ellgreave Pottery in Longport, Burslem
previously this had been the site of the Dale Hall Brick & Tile Works 

 

 


Questions, comments, contributions? email: Steve Birks