John Ridgway & Co

John Ridgway & Co

Location and period of operation:

John Ridgway (& Co)

Shelton

c. 1830

1855

Porcelain and Earthenware manufacturer at Cauldon Place, Shelton, Stoke-on-Trent

Since 1813 (when their father Job Ridgway died) John and William were partners at this business at Cauldon Place. In 1830 the two brothers inherited the Bell Works from their uncle George. The brothers then ended their partnership with John taking the Cauldon Works and William retaining the Bell works.
The new partners at the Cauldon Works included John Ridgway, Thomas Sanders Bale, John Ridgway Bale and Robert Brown.
In 1846 the partnership was dissolved, John Ridgway Bale having died and Robert Brown leaving the business. The business then continued with John Ridgway and Thomas Sanders Bale as partners.
John Ridgway and Thomas Sanders Bale were also partners at the Castlefields, Architectural Pottery Works
in Shelton under the name of Ridgway & Bale.
Both partnerships were dissolved in August 1854

John Ridgway (1785-1860) was a member of the famous Ridgway family of potters

In 1810 John Ridgway married Sophia Bale of Bristol and presumably Thomas Sanders Bale was
some relation of Sophia Bale.

Formerly: J & W Ridgway

Subsequently: Ridgway, Bates & Co.

London Gazette, November 16, 1830

notice of the dissolution of the partnerships
between John and William Ridgway

the business then continued as John Ridgway & Co

London Gazette, 13 February 1846

notice of the dissolution of the partnership of John Ridgway,
Thomas Sanders Bale, John Ridgway Bale (deceased) and Robert Brown

the business then continued with John Ridgway and
Thomas Sanders Bale.

London Gazette, 19 September 1854

notice of the dissolution of the partnerships between
John Ridgway and Thomas Sanders Bale

Selected by the Committee for the Staffordshire Potteries
to exhibit at the Paris Universal Exhibition of 1855

sugar bowl
the pattern number is given as 6912

raised serving dish

c.1830-37

soup bowl in the Imari style
the pattern number is given as 5302

Soup bowl in the Blue Bell pattern
sometimes this pattern was produced in blue monochrome

John Ridgway produced ware in a wide range of Imari style patterns

Wikipedia article on Imari ware

platter in the Byzantium pattern

platter in the Souvenir pattern

No 692 10th May 1841
Jn Ridgway & Co
SOUVENIR

The National Archives at Kew has the following information for this design design.

Registered design number: 692.
Proprietor: John Ridgway.
Address: Cauldon Place, Potteries, [Hanley, Staffordshire].
Subject: Plate.
Note: 1 year copyright.
Date: 1841 May 10

Souvenir pattern mark with impressed CAULDON England

The Souvenir pattern was registered on the 10th May 1841, by this date the Royal Arms should have been updated to reflect Queen Victoria's accession to the throne in 1837 - the escutcheon (centre shield) should have been removed. more on the Royal Arms

Porcelaine a la Francais
Ridgway

'Porcelaine a la Francais' was not porcelain nor French but a name used by Ridgway on some of their ironstone earthenware.

Around the mid ninteenth century British manufacturers found their markets being eroded by inexpensive French porcelain - adopting French sounding names was one way of meeting the competition.

Hexagonal white ironstone tureen in the "Classic Gothic" shape
registered 19th September 1844

- more information on Ironstone -

In 1844, John Ridgway & Co. patented a design called "Classic Gothic," a hexagonal shape with crown finials and scrolled arches. Other potteries offered variations on the "gothic" design during the 1840s. (reference)