Yorkshire has a rich history of ceramic production dating back to the first half of the 18th century. Most of you will have heard of the Rockingham factory which was located in Swinton near Rotherham examples of which can be found at Windsor Castle and in the Victoria and Albert Museum but today I thought I would tell you about some of the lesser known factories.

One of my favourites is the Mexborough Pottery which started producing ceramics towards the end of the 18th century at a small site on Dolcliffe Common. It was founded by a man called Beevers who took on a partner by the name of Ford so they traded under the name of Beevers and Ford but later were known as Rock Pottery. In 1839 James Reed and his son John brought the business and it was renamed Mexborough Pottery and the business expanded rapidly. When the Rockingham factory was declared bankrupt in 1842 Mr Reed brought many of the moulds and produced the Rockingham shapes but used his own designs and prints on the pottery. Mexborough Pottery is also well known for sponge ware which is when the colours are applied by hand using a sponge or sponge stamp.

In our Fine Art sale this Friday we are lucky enough to have a few examples of Mexborough Pottery. A lovely early model of cow with a farmer and his dog upon a sponge ware base and two house money boxes which are always sought after by collectors.

Another factory you might not of heard of is Twigg. The factory was founded by Joseph Twigg in 1809 at Newhill after he converted a house into a  pottery. In 1827 Joseph’s three sons joined the business They were known for producing affordable earthenware and transfer ware for working class families. The business produced items like children’s plates often with moulded borders and scenes with verses above, as well as cheese stands and blue printed Willow pattern designs. Their wares do come up for sale in our auctions occasionally and can be brought from as cheaply as £50 upwards.

Over in West Yorkshire did you know that Castleford has a history of ceramic manufacture. The Castleford pottery operated from 1793 to 1820 and was owned by David Dunderdale. They were known for making a smear glaze finely moulded stoneware. The designs typically included relief panels often outlined in blue enamel. We regularly see Castleford teapots and sucriers in the auctions these usually are of a straight sided octagonal shape, imitating designs in silver of the day. The reliefs reflect the artistic taste of the period with neoclassical and romantic scenes.

Leeds is of course well known for making creamware with the factory founded in 1770 in a suburb south of the city called Hunslet. Their fine earthenware had a translucent glaze and at the time it was considered the most important rival to the much larger firm of Wedgwood. Many pieces include pierced open work or basketwork weaving. By 1790 the company had expanded and employed 150 people. Their wares were lighter than those of most of their competitors which gave them an advantage in European markets where import tariffs were based on weight. The factory is also well known for making large pottery models of horses. These horses were traditionally made for shop displays in dealers trading in horse equipment, food stuffs and medicines. Sheffield Auction Gallery had the pleasure of selling a Leeds Pottery horse which measured 42cm high and despite some damage realised £8200. So if you are interested in buying or selling any Yorkshire Pottery the valuers here at Sheffield Auction Gallery are here to help.