Coalport
Coalport is a village in Shropshire, England. It is located on the River Severn in the Ironbridge Gorge, a mile downstream of Ironbridge. It lies predominantly on the north bank of the river; on the other side is Jackfield.
The settlement was ...
,
Shropshire
Shropshire (; alternatively Salop; abbreviated in print only as Shrops; demonym Salopian ) is a landlocked historic county in the West Midlands region of England. It is bordered by Wales to the west and the English counties of Cheshire to th ...
, England was a centre of
porcelain
Porcelain () is a ceramic material made by heating substances, generally including materials such as kaolinite, in a kiln to temperatures between . The strength and translucence of porcelain, relative to other types of pottery, arises mainl ...
and pottery production between about 1795 ("inaccurately" claimed as 1750 by the company) and 1926, with the Coalport porcelain brand continuing to be used up to the present. The opening in 1792 of the
Coalport Canal, which joins the
River Severn
, name_etymology =
, image = SevernFromCastleCB.JPG
, image_size = 288
, image_caption = The river seen from Shrewsbury Castle
, map = RiverSevernMap.jpg
, map_size = 288
, map_c ...
at Coalport, had increased the attractiveness of the site, and from 1800 until a merger in 1814 there were two factories operating, one on each side of the canal, making rather similar wares which are now often difficult to tell apart.
Both factories made mostly tablewares that had elaborate
overglaze decoration
Overglaze decoration, overglaze enamelling or on-glaze decoration is a method of decorating pottery, most often porcelain, where the coloured decoration is applied on top of the already fired and glazed surface, and then fixed in a second firing ...
, mostly with floral subjects. A further round of mergers in 1819 brought moulds and skilled staff from
Nantgarw porcelain
The Nantgarw China Works was a porcelain factory, later making other types of pottery, located in Nantgarw on the eastern bank of the Glamorganshire Canal, north of Cardiff in the River Taff valley, Glamorganshire, Wales.
The factory made porcel ...
and
Swansea porcelain
The Cambrian Pottery was founded in 1764 by William Coles in Swansea, Glamorganshire, Wales. In 1790, John Coles, son of the founder, went into partnership with George Haynes, who introduced new business strategies based on the ideas of Josiah ...
to Coalbrookdale, which continued to thrive through the rest of the century. The Coalport factory was founded by John Rose in 1795; he continued to run it successfully until his death in 1841. The company often sold its wares as Coalbrookdale porcelain, especially the pieces with flowers modelled in three dimensions, and they may be called Coalport China.
Wares
![Set of Four Soup Plates LACMA 54](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/ba/Set_of_Four_Soup_Plates_LACMA_54.140.1.1-.4_%283_of_3%29.jpg)
Rose employed
William Billingsley, formerly at Nantgarw, as chief painter, and Billingsley's chemist, Walker, who initiated at Coalport a maroon glaze and brought the Nantgarw technical recipes to Rose at Coalport. It is speculated that at least one of the figures used in the 1850s designs was created by sculptor
Ellen Shenton.
Coalport and Coalbrookdale specialised in dinner services. The familiar "Indian tree" pattern, which is based in fact on Chinese rather than Indian prototypes, was originated at Coalport; variants have been produced by virtually all the British manufacturers of
table wares and continue to be available today. Models that originated at
Meissen
Meissen (in German orthography: ''Meißen'', ) is a town of approximately 30,000 about northwest of Dresden on both banks of the Elbe river in the Free State of Saxony, in eastern Germany. Meissen is the home of Meissen porcelain, the Albrecht ...
and
Sèvres
Sèvres (, ) is a commune in the southwestern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the centre of Paris, in the Hauts-de-Seine department, Île-de-France region. The commune, which had a population of 23,251 as of 2018, is known for i ...
were copied at Coalbrookdale in the mid-19th century, sometimes with misleading marks, "a practice which ought to have been avoided",
William Chaffers
William Chaffers (28 September 1811 – 12 April 1892) was an English antiquary and writer of reference works on hallmarks, and marks on ceramics. His ''Marks and Monograms on Pottery and Porcelain'', first published in 1863, has appeared in many ...
observed. Sprigged floral encrusted decoration was also typical of Coalport wares, such as vases, small boxes and table baskets.
In 1820 Rose received the gold medal of the
Society of Arts
The Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (RSA), also known as the Royal Society of Arts, is a London-based organisation committed to finding practical solutions to social challenges. The RSA acronym is used m ...
for his
feldspar
Feldspars are a group of rock-forming aluminium tectosilicate minerals, also containing other cations such as sodium, calcium, potassium, or barium. The most common members of the feldspar group are the ''plagioclase'' (sodium-calcium) feldsp ...
porcelain and an improved, lead-free glaze, with which the enamel colours fused in firing. Favourite patterns were the "worm sprig" and the "Tournai sprig" introduced by Billingsley at Pinxton, the Dresden-inspired "Berlin china edge", and the blue transfer
willow pattern
The Willow pattern is a distinctive and elaborate chinoiserie pattern used on ceramic tableware. It became popular at the end of the 18th century in England when, in its standard form, it was developed by English ceramic artists combining and ...
and blue dragon pattern.
During the 1830s the factory initiated the practice of applying a light
transfer printed blue outline, to guide the painters. This preserved some of the freedom of hand-painted decoration, while it enabled Rose to keep up the pace of production. The technique was widely adopted by other manufactories during the 19th century.
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 structure in which it was held), was an international exhibition which took pl ...
(London 1851) an elaborate Coalport table service with deep borders of mazarin blue was shown; it had been commissioned by
Queen Victoria
Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until Death and state funeral of Queen Victoria, her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 21 ...
as a gift to Tsar
Nicholas I of Russia
Nicholas I , group=pron ( – ) was List of Russian rulers, Emperor of Russia, Congress Poland, King of Congress Poland and Grand Duke of Finland. He was the third son of Paul I of Russia, Paul I and younger brother of his predecessor, Alexander I ...
.
In the second half of the 19th century the Coalport manufacturers added yet another specialisation to their repertoire of hand decorated porcelains. They developed the technique called
jewelling whereby small beads of coloured enamel were applied most often to a
gold ground
Gold ground (both a noun and adjective) or gold-ground (adjective) is a term in art history for a style of images with all or most of the background in a solid gold colour. Historically, real gold leaf has normally been used, giving a luxurious ...
. According to the auctioneers
Skinner Inc
Skinner may refer to:
People and fictional characters
*Skinner (surname), a list of people and fictional characters with that surname
*Skinner (profession), a person who makes a living by working with animal skins or driving mules
*Skinner, a ring ...
, it is thought this was first developed and introduced by the
Worcester porcelain
Royal Worcester is a porcelain brand based in Worcester, England. It was established in 1751 and is believed to be the oldest or second oldest remaining English porcelain brand still in existence today, although this is disputed by Royal Crown De ...
factory in the mid 1860s. Turquoise seemed to be the prevalent colour, meticulously and uniformly decorating tea wares, useful wares and ornamental wares, often accompanied by a rich raised gold decoration. They were produced for sale in Britain and abroad. Two examples can be seen below.
Business history
![Coalport China Museum - Coalport - Shropshire - geograph](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/af/Coalport_China_Museum_-_Coalport_-_Shropshire_-_geograph.org.uk_-_1321470.jpg)
The Coalport porcelain manufactory, the first
porcelain
Porcelain () is a ceramic material made by heating substances, generally including materials such as kaolinite, in a kiln to temperatures between . The strength and translucence of porcelain, relative to other types of pottery, arises mainl ...
factory in the
Ironbridge Gorge
The Ironbridge Gorge is a deep gorge, containing the River Severn in Shropshire, England. It was first formed by a glacial overflow from the long drained away Lake Lapworth, at the end of the last ice age. The deep exposure of the rocks cut t ...
, England, was founded by the practical and enterprising John Rose in 1795. Financial support was provided by Edward Blakeway (1720-1811). John Rose had probably trained at the
Caughley porcelain
Coalport, Shropshire, England was a centre of porcelain and pottery production between about 1795 ("inaccurately" claimed as 1750 by the company) and 1926, with the Coalport porcelain brand continuing to be used up to the present. The opening i ...
manufactory, less than a mile away on the other side of the Severn, and had been making
pottery
Pottery is the process and the products of forming vessels and other objects with clay and other ceramic materials, which are fired at high temperatures to give them a hard and durable form. Major types include earthenware, stoneware and por ...
on his own account nearby at
Jackfield
Jackfield is a village in Shropshire, England, lying on the south bank of River Severn in the Ironbridge Gorge, downstream from Ironbridge.
Like many of the settlements in the area, it is notable for its place in the Industrial Revolution.
H ...
, a mile upstream across the Severn from Coalbrookdale, since about 1793. In 1799 Rose took over the Caughley factory, continuing production there, at least of the biscuit stage, moving the wares to be decorated at Coalport.
From 1800 to 1814 Rose's brother Thomas operated a small works on the other side of the canal, initially with
William Reynolds (died 1803), an industrialist, and Robert Horton. After Reynolds' death his cousin Robert Anstice became a partner. They were taken over by J. Rose & Co. in 1814 The same year John Rose moved the Caughley production the short distance to the Coalport site.
Rose's rapid success enabled him to buy the
Nantgarw porcelain
The Nantgarw China Works was a porcelain factory, later making other types of pottery, located in Nantgarw on the eastern bank of the Glamorganshire Canal, north of Cardiff in the River Taff valley, Glamorganshire, Wales.
The factory made porcel ...
manufactory in 1819 and the
Swansea porcelain
The Cambrian Pottery was founded in 1764 by William Coles in Swansea, Glamorganshire, Wales. In 1790, John Coles, son of the founder, went into partnership with George Haynes, who introduced new business strategies based on the ideas of Josiah ...
manufactory, with their repertory of moulds.
John Rose died in 1841; the enterprise was continued under the former name "John Rose & Co." by his nephew W.F. Rose and William Pugh. William Pugh continued the production as sole proprietor from 1862 until his death in 1875, after which the company was put in receivership by his heirs. It was purchased in 1880 by the East Anglian engineer
Peter Bruff
Peter Schuyler Bruff (23 July 1812 – 24 February 1900) was an English civil engineer'Obituary. Peter Schuyler Bruff, 1812-1900', ''Minutes of the Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers'', Volume 141 Part 3, 1900, (January 1900)pp. ...
(died 1900), who reinstated it as the Coalport China Company. Under the management of his son Charles Bruff from 1889, an extensive export trade to the United States and Canada was initiated in the 1890s, and the works were rebuilt on the original site in 1902.
During the 1920s it fell again into financial difficulties and was eventually taken over by the Cauldon Potteries, Ltd., of
Shelton, Staffordshire
Shelton is an area of the city of Stoke-on-Trent in Staffordshire, England, between Hanley and Stoke-upon-Trent.
History
The route of the Roman Road called the Rykeneld Street passed very close to Stoke-on-Trent railway station.
Shelton ha ...
, in 1925. In 1926 production moved to
Staffordshire
Staffordshire (; postal abbreviation Staffs.) is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. It borders Cheshire to the northwest, Derbyshire and Leicestershire to the east, Warwickshire to the southeast, the West Midlands Cou ...
, the traditional centre of the
ceramic
A ceramic is any of the various hard, brittle, heat-resistant and corrosion-resistant materials made by shaping and then firing an inorganic, nonmetallic material, such as clay, at a high temperature. Common examples are earthenware, porcelain ...
s industry in Britain, and, although the Coalport name was retained as a brand, in 1967 the company became part of the
Wedgwood
Wedgwood is an English fine china, porcelain and luxury accessories manufacturer that was founded on 1 May 1759 by the potter and entrepreneur Josiah Wedgwood and was first incorporated in 1895 as Josiah Wedgwood and Sons Ltd. It was rapid ...
group.
Llewellynn Jewitt published a ''History of the Coalport Porcelain Works'' in 1862. The standard modern monographic history is Geoffrey A. Godden, ''Coalport and Coalbrookdale Porcelain'' (London 1970).
The original manufactory buildings now houses the
Coalport China Museum
The Coalport China Museum is one of the ten Ironbridge Gorge Museums administered by the Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust. The museum is based in the village of Coalport within the Ironbridge Gorge on the northern bank of the River Severn in Shro ...
, as well as a
Youth Hostel
A hostel is a form of low-cost, short-term shared sociable lodging where guests can rent a bed, usually a bunk bed in a dormitory, with shared use of a lounge and sometimes a kitchen. Rooms can be mixed or single-sex and have private or shared ba ...
, cafe, artists' studios and a handmade arts and crafts shop.
[An illustrated history of the buildings is presented by R.S. Edmundson, "Coalport China Works, Shropshire: A Comparative Study of the Premises and the Background to their Development" ''Industrial Archaeology Review'' 3.2 (Spring 1979) 122-145.]
File:Jug MET 142757.jpg, Early election jug, c. 1802, with transfer-printed decoration. Hybrid hard paste porcelain.
File:Great Vase and Cover LACMA 58.59.2a-b (5 of 5).jpg, Covered vase with scene of the factory and Coalbrookdale
Coalbrookdale is a village in the Ironbridge Gorge in Shropshire, England, containing a settlement of great significance in the history of iron ore smelting. It lies within the civil parish called the Gorge.
This is where iron ore was first s ...
, c. 1810, 21 1/3 in. (54.19 cm) high
File:Plate with Basket of Flowers LACMA 56.30.12.jpg, Plate, c. 1815
File:Hudson Highlands from Bull Hill, America - Coalport Porcelain Factory, Shropshire, England, c. 1820-1830, porcelain - De Young Museum - DSC00917.JPG, American scene "Hudson Highlands
The Hudson Highlands are mountains on both sides of the Hudson River in New York state lying primarily in Putnam County on its east bank and Orange County on its west. They continue somewhat to the south in Westchester County and Rockland County ...
from Bull Hill
Bull Hill, also known as Mount Taurus, is a mountain north of the village of Cold Spring on the Hudson River in Putnam County in the State of New York. It is part of the river-straddling range known as the Hudson Highlands. The original name cam ...
", from a service, c. 1820–1830,
File:Centerpiece MET SF1980 202 1 img1.jpg, Floral centrepiece, c. 1840, bone china
Bone china is a type of ceramic that is composed of bone ash, feldspathic material, and kaolin. It has been defined as "ware with a translucent body" containing a minimum of 30% of phosphate derived from animal bone and calculated calcium phospha ...
. This type of piece is often called Coalbrookdale porcelain
File:Demi-tasse Cup and Saucer with Sea-urchin Foam LACMA AC1998.265.19.1-.2.jpg, Jeweled demi-tasse cup and saucer "with sea-urchin foam", c. 1890
File:Bonbonnière, Coalport Porcelain Factory, Derbyshire, c. 1891-1919, porcelain - Wadsworth Atheneum - Hartford, CT - DSC05553.jpg, Jeweled bonbonnière, c. 1891-1919
File:Comport (AM 1967.114-1) (cropped).jpg, Plate, before 1967 (1950s?)
File:Coalport china, diorama, Museum of the Gorge, Ironbridge.jpg, Diorama
A diorama is a replica of a scene, typically a three-dimensional full-size or miniature model, sometimes enclosed in a glass showcase for a museum. Dioramas are often built by hobbyists as part of related hobbies such as military vehicle mode ...
of the site, around 1820, in the Museum of the Gorge, Ironbridge
The Museum of the Gorge, originally the Severn Warehouse, is one of the ten museums of the Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust. It portrays the history of the Ironbridge Gorge and the surrounding area of Coalbrookdale, Shropshire, England.
History
...
File:Coalport Pottery - geograph.org.uk - 260287.jpg, Earliest part of the original works at Coalport, now housing a café and hostel
Notes
References
*
Battie, David, ed., ''Sotheby's Concise Encyclopedia of Porcelain'', 1990, Conran Octopus.
*Burton, William (1921). ''A General History of Porcelain''. 2. pp. 102ff.
*Bushnell, Gordon H. (2006), ''The Illustrated Guide to 19th Century Coalport Coalbrookdale Floral Encrusted Porcelain''.
*
Chaffers, William (1866), ''Marks and monograms on pottery and porcelain: with historical notices...'' (2nd ed.)
*Dillon, Edward (1904). "XXI - "English Porcelain - The Soft Paste of Derby, Worcester, Caughley, Coalport, Swansea, Nantgarw, Lowestoft, Liverpool, Pinxton, Rockingham, Church Gresley, Spode, and Belleek". ''Porcelain''. London: Methuen.
*Fleming, John; Honour, Hugh (1977), "Coalport and Coalbrookdale porcelain factory", in ''Dictionary of the Decorative Arts''
*Godden, Geoffrey A. (1970). ''Coalport and Coalbrookdale Porcelain''. Barrie & Jenkins, London
*Honey, W.B., ''Old English Porcelain'', 1977 (3rd edn.), Faber and Faber,
External links
Chicago Art Institute: Coalbrook and Coalbrookdale porcelains
{{Authority control
Ceramics manufacturers of England
Ironbridge Gorge
British porcelain
History of Shropshire
British companies established in 1795