Sources & References | North Staffordshire Potteries

Sources & Reference Material

Stoke-on-Trent and The North Staffordshire Potteries

This page brings together the principal reference works, archival sources, and supporting materials used in compiling information on the history of the North Staffordshire Potteries and the ceramics industry of Stoke-on-Trent.

It includes published works on pottery manufacturers, factory sites, trade directories, and mark identification, along with selected online and archival resources.

The bibliography is not exhaustive but represents the core references underpinning the research presented throughout this website, and is updated as new material becomes available.

The author is grateful to the many collectors, historians, museums, archives, organisations and individuals who have generously provided information and images over the years. Their assistance has made this website possible.

Some pottery mark illustrations appearing on this website are derived or adapted from published reference sources, particularly Geoffrey A. Godden’s Encyclopaedia of British Pottery and Porcelain Marks. These are used for historical reference and identification purposes.

Copyright and Acknowledgements

The Potteries aims to respect the copyright of all photographs, illustrations, maps, documents and other material reproduced on this website.

Many images are reproduced with the permission of the copyright holder or are believed to be in the public domain because of their age or source.

Where known, the source and copyright owner are acknowledged.

Every reasonable effort has been made to identify and contact copyright holders. If you believe that any material on this website has been reproduced in error or without appropriate acknowledgement, please contact us so that the matter can be investigated and, where necessary, corrected promptly.

Sources

Historical information on this website has been compiled from a wide range of published and unpublished sources, including books, newspapers, trade directories, museum collections, archive material, historic maps and the contributions of local historians and collectors.

Wherever possible, individual sources are acknowledged on the relevant pages.

Image Restoration and Enhancement

Many images on this website have been digitally restored or enhanced to improve their clarity and presentation.

Historic photographs, postcards and engravings may have scratches, stains, folds and fading reduced, together with adjustments to brightness, contrast and sharpness.

Images of pottery, porcelain and other artefacts may also have their backgrounds cleaned, replaced or simplified, and colour, exposure and sharpness adjusted, to show the object more clearly. These enhancements are intended to improve presentation only and do not alter the design, decoration or physical characteristics of the original object.

Every effort has been made to preserve the historical accuracy of all images. No features have been intentionally added, removed or modified in a way that changes the historical record.

British pottery manufacturers

Henrywood, R.K. Staffordshire Potters 1781–1900 (2002)	Perry, M. Handbook of British Pottery Manufacturers 1900-2010	Godden, G.A. Encyclopedia Of British Pottery And Porcelain Marks (1987)


Godden, G.A. Guide to Ironstone, Stone and Granite Wares (1999)	Jewitt, L. The Ceramic Art of Great Britain (1878)	Jewitt, L. — The Ceramic Art of Great Britain 1800–1900, revised by G. A. Godden (1972)
	View online: Internet Archive

Period	Source	manufacturers
1710-15	List drawn up by Josiah Wedgwood in 1776 and produced in: "A History of the Adams Family of North Staffordshire",
1780's	"A Topographical Survey of the County of Stafford," c.1786. W. Tunnicliff, Land-surveyor, Yarlett, Nr.Stone, Staffordshire.
1802	"Map of the Potteries of 1802", J. Allbut and Sons
1818	"The Commercial Directory", 1818. Pigot & Co.
1830	"Directory", 1830/1. Pigot & Co.
1850	"Royal National and Commercial Directory", 1850. Slater.
1868	The Staffordshire Potteries' Directory for 1868	See transcription
1875	"Keates's Directory", 1875/6. Keates
1900+	"The Pottery Gazette", Messrs Scott, Greenwood & Son Ltd.
1907	Staffordshire Sentinel Newspaper 'Business Reference Guide to The Potteries, Newcastle and District'	See transcription
1947	The Pottery Gazette & Glass Trade Review. Reference Book, Directory.	See transcription
1954	"British Potters and Pottery Today", 1956. Cyril G. E. Bunt

1893	A descriptive account of The Potteries	W. Kent & Co., London	View transcription
1906	The Pottery Gazette & Glass Trade Review - years 1906 to 1913 are available online.	Scott Greenwood & Son Ltd., London	View online: Internet Archive
1947	The City of Stoke-on-Trent - Official Handbook 10th Edn	J Burrow & Co. Ltd., Cheltenham & London
1955	Prestige and Progress - A Survey of Industrial North Staffordshire	North Staffordshire Chamber of Commerce	View transcription
1977	The City of Stoke-on-Trent - Official Handbook	J Burrow & Co. Ltd., Cheltenham & London

Page History:

Page created: 18 March 2018
Updated: June 2024-Sept 2025 - incremental additions of sources.
Updated: 15 May 2026 - Major revision: standardised bibliography format and added attribution notes.
Last Updated: 4 September 2026 - notes on copyright and acknowledgements, sources and image restoration and enhancement added.


Shaw S. History of the Staffordshire Potteries (1829)	Ward, J. The Borough of Stoke-upon-Trent (1843). Reprinted by Webberley Ltd., Stoke-on-Trent (1984)	Warrillow, E. A Sociological history of the city of Stoke-on-Trent (1960)	The Victoria History of the County of Stafford, Vol. II and VIII Oxford University Press (1967 & 1963)
View transcript	View online: Internet Archive		View online: Vol VIII