W. H. Grindley & Co. Platters and Serveware

Set of two late 19th century brown transferware serving platters. One scalloped edge, rounded rectangular platter of unknown maker, marked Scroll B, showing an idyllic landscape of c...

Set of three late 19th century brown English transferware round rectangular serving platters. One by W.H. Grindley in the Burmah pattern, design registered 17 January 1883, showing an Asian pond with birds and butterflies, above a patchwork of geometric and floral Chinoiserie patterns. One by Wedgwood & Co in the Melton pattern, design registered 30 January 1883, showing a floral patterned center and a patchwork border of Chinoiserie designs dividing miniature tableaus of a hunting dog pursuing a wild bird. And one by Powell, Bishop, & Stonier in the Honfleur pattern, dated 1884, showing a stone wall decorated with plant filled vases and a lion, bordered with more vases and geometric Chinoiserie designs. "W.H. Grindley & Co - Earthenware manufacturer at the Newfield Pottery and then the Woodland Pottery, Tunstall, Stoke-on-Trent, England. The company was founded at the Newfield Pottery in 1880 by William Harry Grindley (principal partner). Mr Turner and Mr Alfred Meakin were also involved. In March 1883 Alfred Meakin left the partnership. In 1891 the company moved to the Woodland Pottery, Woodland Street, Tunstall. In 1908 W. H. Grindley set up a sister company - The Grindley Hotel Ware Co. The founder, William Harry Grindley, died in 1924. In 1960 Alfred Clough Ltd purchased W. H. Grindley, who continued to trade under their own name as part of the 'Alfred Clough Group.' In 1978 the name of the Clough Group was changed to Grindley of Stoke (Ceramics) Ltd. In 1982 W. H. Grindley, Cartwright & Edwards and other group assets were sold to the United Kingdom Provident Institution and the company became a member of the newly formed Federated Potteries Co. Ltd. The assets of Federated Potteries were dispersed in 1987 and in January 1988 the management of Grindley's purchased the business and recommenced trading under the W. H. Grindley & Co. Ltd. name. The business had financial difficulties and 1991 saw the company in the hands of the receivers." "Wedgwood & Co - Earthenware manufacturers at the Unicorn Pottery and Pinnox Works in Tunstall, Stoke-on-Trent, England. (The ware of Wegwood & Co are sometimes confused with those of Josiah Wedgwood & Sons Ltd. However the inclusion of "& Co" or "& Co Ltd" in the name always differentiates between the two companies as Josiah Wedgwood never used "& Co". ) Enoch Wedgwood (a distant cousin of Josiah Wedgwood) became a partner in Podmore, Walker & Co. in 1835 and in 1856 the business was renamed Podmore, Walker, Wedgwood & Co. Following the death of Thomas Podmore in 1860, Enoch Wedgwood inherited shares in the interests of the business left to him by Podmore, the partnership was dissolved and became Wedgwood & Co. Enoch Wedgwood took his younger brother Jabez into partnership. Enoch died in 1879 and was succeeded by his sons Edmund and Alfred Enoch Wedgwood who ran the business until 1900 when family control ceased. The company did not have the same drive under the two sons and in 1890 Hollinshead and Kirkham took over the Unicorn Works. In 1900 the firm became a limited company and effective control passed out of the hands of the Wedgwood family. The new money and management put new life into the company and up to 1950 great efforts were put into regaining their former markets, largely by playing to the company's strengths in producing high quality goods. In 1965 the company was sold to Semart Importing Co. based in New Jersey, USA and refloated as Enoch Wedgwood (Tunstall) Ltd. Semart was an importer of tableware and at the same time as buying Wedgwood & Co. purchased Crown Staffordshire China Co. In 1969 Enoch Wedgwood (Tunstall) Ltd. purchased the Furnivals name together with the rights to a number of patterns which were marked under the Furnivals name. In order to expand production facilities the business of A G Richardson was purchased in 1974. Although A G Richardson ceased to exist, the use of their Crown Ducal name and some patterns was continued by Enoch Wedgwood for a few years. In 1980 Josiah Wedgwood & Sons Ltd (who, up to this point had nothing to do with Wedgwood & Co.) purchased Enoch Wedgwood and it operated within the Wedgwood Group as the 'Unicorn Pottery'." "Powell, Bishop, & Stonier - 1878-1891 - China and Earthenware manufacturer at the Stafford Street Works and the Church Works, Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent, England. Powell, Bishop and Stonier...