John Ridgway & Co






 

Location and period of operation:

John Ridgway (& Co)

Shelton

c. 1830

1855

 

Porcelain and Earthenware manufacturer at Cauldon Place, Shelton, Stoke-on-Trent, England.

John Ridgway was renowned for producing high-quality earthenware and porcelain, including innovative transfer-printed designs that gained popularity both in Britain and abroad. He expanded the pottery works at Cauldon Place, helping establish the Ridgway brand as one of the leading names in Staffordshire pottery - he exhibited at the Great Exhibition of 1851.

As a major pottery manufacturer, John Ridgway helped drive the industrial growth of what became the city of Stoke-on-Trent, contributing to employment and economic prosperity in the region. In 1857 Ridgway served as the first mayor of the newly-created borough of Hanley, demonstrating his influence not just in business but also in local governance. He supported civic improvements and is remembered for promoting education and social reform within the community.

 

  • Since 1813 (when their father Job Ridgway died) John and William were partners at this business at Cauldon Place.  In 1830 the two brothers inherited the Bell Works from their uncle George. The brothers then ended their partnership with John taking the Cauldon Works and William retaining the Bell works.

  • The new partners at the Cauldon Works included John Ridgway, Thomas Sanders Bale, John Ridgway Bale and Robert Brown. 

  • In 1846 the partnership was dissolved, John Ridgway Bale having died and Robert Brown leaving the business. The business then continued with John Ridgway and Thomas Sanders Bale as partners.

  • John Ridgway and Thomas Sanders Bale were also partners at the Castlefields, Architectural Pottery Works
    in Shelton under the name of Ridgway & Bale. 

  • Both partnerships were dissolved in August 1854


John Ridgway (1785-1860) was a member of the famous Ridgway family of potters

  • In 1810 John Ridgway married Sophia Bale of Bristol and presumably Thomas Sanders Bale was 
    some relation of Sophia Bale.  


Formerly: J & W Ridgway

Subsequently: Ridgway, Bates & Co. 

 


London Gazette
November 16, 1830


notice of the dissolution of the partnerships 
between John and William Ridgway

the business then continued as John Ridgway & Co 

 


London Gazette 
13 February 1846

 
 notice of the dissolution of the partnership of John Ridgway,
Thomas Sanders Bale, John Ridgway Bale (deceased) and Robert Brown

the business then continued with John Ridgway and
Thomas Sanders Bale.

 

London Gazette
19 September 1854 

notice of the dissolution of the partnerships between
John Ridgway and Thomas Sanders Bale

 

Selected by the Committee for the Staffordshire Potteries 
to exhibit at the Paris Universal Exhibition of 1855

 


sugar bowl
the pattern number is given as 6912

 


raised serving dish 

c. 1830-37

 

 

 


Soup bowl in the Blue Bell pattern
sometimes this pattern was produced in blue monochrome 

 

 

Imari style patterns

- more on Imari ware -



soup bowl in the Imari style
the pattern number is given as 5302

 

 

 

 
unnamed Pattern 5474 -  the successors T C Brown-Westhead, Moore & Co continued this pattern  

- link to B-W, M & Co version -

a very similar John Ridgway pattern is known which is marked 'Penang' (pattern 4099) 
a blue & white simplified version of Penang was also produced



 

John Ridgway produced ware in a wide range of Imari style patterns

 

 

 

 

 
platter in the Byzantium pattern 

 

 


platter in the Souvenir pattern 
No 692 10th May 1841
Jn Ridgway & Co 
SOUVENIR

The National Archives at Kew has the following information for this design design.   

Registered design number: 692.
Proprietor: John Ridgway.
Address: Cauldon Place, Potteries, [Hanley, Staffordshire].
Subject: Plate.
Note: 1 year copyright.
Date: 1841 May 10

 


 Souvenir pattern mark with impressed CAULDON England

The Souvenir pattern was registered on the 10th May 1841, by this date the Royal Arms should have been updated to reflect Queen Victoria's accession to the throne in 1837 - the escutcheon (centre shield) should have been removed. However John Ridgway continued to use this version until the mid 1840s.

more on the Royal Arms

 

 

 

 

Porcelaine a la Francais

white ironstone - "Classic Gothic" shape

 


Porcelaine a la Francais
John Ridgway & Comp 

'Porcelaine a la Francais' was not porcelain nor French but a name used by Ridgway on some of their ironstone earthenware.

Around the mid ninteenth century British manufacturers found their markets being eroded by inexpensive French porcelain - adopting French sounding names was one way of meeting the competition. 

Hexagonal white ironstone tureen  in the "Classic Gothic" shape
registered 19th September 1844

- more information on Ironstone -

 


John Ridgway & Co 

mark used on white ironstone with the name 'Porcelaine a la Francais'
this shard found (2025) on a beach in New Jersey, USA

photo courtesy: John Lamia

 

 

In 1844, John Ridgway & Co. patented a design called "Classic Gothic," a hexagonal shape with crown finials and scrolled arches. Other potteries offered variations on the "gothic" design during the 1840s. (reference)

 

  


details from the National Archives, Kew, London for the design registration 21700 

photos courtesy: Denise Schine
- White Ironstone China Association - 

WICA assigned the name Primary Gothic Hexagon to this tureen

 

 

 

 

Star & Garter pattern

 

 


platter in the Star & Garter pattern 
Stone Ware 
J R
Star & Garter

Edward Walley also made a pattern called Star & Garter

 

 

 


blue transferware plate in the CANDIA pattern 
CANDIA 
J R & Co
Cauldon
England

the potworks were at Cauldon Place

 

 

 


serving bowl in a polychrome CANDIA pattern 

 
CANDIA 
J R & Co


the registration diamond gives a date of 19th September 1844 for the registration of the pattern 

photos courtesy: Deborah Barbera

 

 

Marks and initials used on ware for identification:

John Ridgway & Co used a variety of marks, sometimes the pattern name or number or company name or intitials are included in the mark.

Some marks inclue CAULDON, either as a printed or impressed mark. 

 

 

JR

JOHN RIDGWAY

JHN RIDGWAY

I RIDGWAY

J RIDGWAY

marks c.1830-41

later marks (c.1841-55) often have "& Co" 

 


Imperial Stone
J-R

NAPIER is the pattern name 
J R

PERSIAN Sun Flower is the pattern name

marks c.1830-41

 

 


Stone Ware
J.R.

REGINA is the pattern name 
Iron Stone China

sometimes no pattern number or intitials are included in the mark

marks c.1830-41

 


J R


J R

c.1830-37

the initials 'JR' appear in the centre of the ribbon along the bottom



Imperial Stone China
J R

c.1830-37

sometime the mark was used without the initials JR or JR & Co

 NOTE: The Royal Arms with the escutcheon overall (centre shield) is
dated pre-1837 when Victoria became queen (although note that Ridgway
continued to use this style of the Arms until the mid 1840s)

- see more on the Royal Arms -

 


J Ridgway & Compy

c.1847-55

The registration diamond gives the date of 2nd October 1847
for the pattern registration 

BLUE BELL is the pattern name


J R & Co
Cauldon England 

c.1841-55

BYZANTIUM is the pattern name

CAULDON is the name of the location of the factory


Imperial Stone
JR - CP

Water Lilly is the pattern name

this mark is attributed to John Ridgway
- the meaning of the initials 'CP' are unknown
they may belong to an agent or distributor -

 


The Cauldon Place works 

- click picture for more -

 

questions/comments/contributions? email: Steve Birks