Thomas Walker






 

Location and period of operation:

Thomas Walker

Tunstall

1845

1851

 

Earthenware (particularly Ironstone) manufacturer at the Lion Works, Tunstall, Stoke-on-Trent, England

  • The Lion Works were located in Sandyford, Tunstall and leased in 1845 by Thomas Walker who "made goods for the South American Market". (Jewitt)   

  • The partners were Thomas Walker and John Walker - although the business name was "Thomas Walker". Thomas Walker was also a partner in Podmore, Walker & Co. 

  • In November 1848 John Walker left the partnership and the business was continued by Thomas Walker on his own account. 

  • Thomas Walker's house is listed as Wesley Place (Tunstall) in White's 1851 directory (Henrywood).

  • Thomas Walker died in 1852. In April 1853 works were advertised to be let by the "representatives of the late Thomas Walker" (Staffordshire Advertiser) 

 

The London Gazette
14th November 1848


notice of the dissolution of the partnership between
John Walker & Thomas Walker - Thomas Walker
continued on his own account 

 

 

Lion Works, Sandyford, Tunstall

"From 1821 to 1834, James Beech of Lion Works, Sandyford, Tunstall, Staffordshire was in partnership with Abraham Lowndes. After Lowndes retired, Beech continued in his sole name until 1844, using the initials J. B. as a backstamp. When he was ready to retire, he advertised his manufactory to let in the Staffordshire Advertiser on August 31, 1844. 

Thomas Walker leased the pottery and, it is believed, acquired Beech’s equipment, moulds and patterns, as no advertisement appeared in the Advertiser announcing them for sale. Thomas Walker ran the Lion Works until his death in 1852. Anthony Shaw was operating the nearby Newfield (formerly Child Works), Tunstall, from 1851-1856, after which he moved to Burslem. 

An auction of Walker’s equipment and engraved copper plates was held in September 1853 and it is known that Anthony Shaw bought engraved plates at that sale and the name A Shaw is also recorded on the Texian Campaigne printed cartouche mark. There is also evidence that all three potters exported to the USA.

Transferware Collectors Club, 2008 - 

https://www.transferwarecollectorsclub.org/bulletin_previews/articles/TCCSummer08-feature.pdf

 

 



Ironstone platter in the HONG pattern
T Walker
Ironstone

HONG is the pattern name 
- it may refer to the Red River (Hong River) in Asia

 

many of the Thomas Walker patterns were in the style of European 
perception of Chinese and Oriental styles  

Ironstone is a hardwearing type of earthenware

   

 



Ironstone China
T Walker

KAN-SU is the pattern name 
Gansu (romanised as Kansu) is a province in Northwest China

 

  

 



T W 

SIMLA is the pattern name 

this pattern and mark is probably correctly attributed to Thomas Walker however there were a number of North Staffordshire potters of this period with the initials TW


The SIMLA pattern was also produced by Elsmore & Forster who operated in Tunstall between 1853 and 1871. 

An auction of Thomas Walker’s equipment and engraved copper plates was held in September 1853 and it is probable that plates for the SIMLA pattern were acquired by Elsmore & Forster. 

 

 



plate with a spatter border and a central stylised, hand painted tulip 
Thos Walker

impressed mark 

 

 

 

 

Marks & initials used on ware for identification:

T W

Thos Walker

T Walker

 


T Walker
Ironstone

T WALKER
(impressed) 

 


T W 

this pattern and mark is probably correctly attributed to Thomas Walker
however there were a number of North Staffordshire potters of this
period with the initials TW

Questions, comments, contributions?  email: Steve Birks