Brannam Pottery was a British pottery started by Thomas Backway Brannam in

Barnstaple Barnstaple ( or ) is a river-port town in North Devon, England, at the River Taw's lowest crossing point before the Bristol Channel. From the 14th century, it was licensed to export wool and won great wealth. Later it imported Irish wool, bu ...

, Devon, England, in 1848. It later became part of the "rustic" wing of the

art pottery Art pottery is a term for pottery with artistic aspirations, made in relatively small quantities, mostly between about 1870 and 1930. Typically, sets of the usual tableware items are excluded from the term; instead the objects produced are mostly ...

movement.

History

Thomas Brannam took over the lease of an existing pottery at North Walk, and another in Litchdon Street, Barnstaple. Like other pottery firms of the time, the firm originally made utilitarian wares such as basic household items, floor tiles, bricks and sewage pipes. This was their "bread and butter" trade, although one of their decorative jugs secured a medal at the

Great Exhibition The Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of All Nations, also known as the Great Exhibition or the Crystal Palace Exhibition (in reference to the temporary The Crystal Palace, structure in which it was held), was an International Exhib ...

in 1851. In 1867 Thomas's son, Charles Hubert Brannam, left school at age 12 to start work at the pottery. Charles won a prize for art at school and also won the Queen's Prize for Drawing in 1870. Initially educated in the theory and practice of ceramics, he was encouraged by a local dignitary,

William Frederick Rock William Frederick Rock (29 January 1801 – 8 February 1890) was a British publisher and philanthropist. Early life Rock was born in Barnstaple to Henry and Prudence Rock. William was an elder child and older brother; he had two sisters, Ann ...

, who invited him to London where he studied pottery in the various museums. In 1879 he persuaded his father to allow him to produce art ware. His father agreed on the proviso that Charles paid for the materials he used. Charles eventually took over the Litchdon Street pottery and further developed the art pottery department, utilising the "

sgraffito ''Sgraffito'' (; plural: ''sgraffiti'') is a technique either of wall decor, produced by applying layers of plaster tinted in contrasting colours to a moistened surface, or in pottery, by applying to an unfired ceramic body two successive laye ...

" technique of scratching into a covering of "

slip Slip or SLIP may refer to: Science and technology Biology * Slip (fish), also known as Black Sole * Slip (horticulture), a small cutting of a plant as a specimen or for grafting * Muscle slip, a branching of a muscle, in anatomy Computing and ...

" to show the clay beneath. He recruited skilled designers, but also continued to throw the ware himself. In 1885 he received an order from Queen Victoria which resulted in excellent publicity for the business. In 1886 Charles registered the name Royal Barum Ware and ensured it was sold by several London firms including

Liberty Liberty is the ability to do as one pleases, or a right or immunity enjoyed by prescription or by grant (i.e. privilege). It is a synonym for the word freedom. In modern politics, liberty is understood as the state of being free within society fr ...

. Charles handed the business over to his sons, Charles William Brannam, and John Woolacott (Jack) Brannam, in 1913. In 1914 C.H. Brannam and Sons became a limited liability company. Jack's son, Peter, carried out considerable modernization in the post-war period, but when he retired in 1979 he sold the business to Candy Tiles of Newton Abbot. They found the old Litchdon Street premises too cramped for their operation, and in 1989 moved the company to a site on the Roundswell Industrial Estate. Despite the fact that no member of the family was still connected with it, it was still called "C.H.Brannam & Sons Ltd". It ceased operations in 2005. The original premises in Litchdon Street partly survive now with their terracotta detailing and stained glass with a preserved kiln still visible in the car park of a medical practice. These premises are now

Grade II listed In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...

. The company has used many marks over the years including C H Brannam, Barum, and Barnstaple.

Museum

The company's collection of ceramic works was purchased by the

Museum of Barnstaple and North Devon Museum of Barnstaple and North Devon is a local museum covering the history and culture of the North Devon area and which is located in The Square in Barnstaple in Devon. The displays range from prehistoric times to the Victorian era. The bui ...

with the help of the Art Fund.The Art Fund: C. H. Brannam pottery collection
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Gallery

File:Brannam Pottery handled vase.JPG, Brannam Pottery handled vase File:Brannam Pottery vase.JPG, Brannam Pottery vase 1930s File:Brannam Pottery jug.JPG, Brannam Pottery jug 1930s File:Brannam pottery dish.JPG, Brannam Pottery dish File:Brannam Pottery mark.JPG, Brannam Pottery mark 1930s

References

Brannam Pottery

External links

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Works from Brannam Pottery in the collection of the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa
Ceramics manufacturers of England English pottery Barnstaple Companies based in Devon Art pottery category:Devonian pottery