Earthenware manufacturer at the Royal Pottery, Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent, England

• The original partners were William J. Brown, John Steventon and W. Lees - trading as Brown & Steventon Ltd. 

• In 1923 William Brown retired from the business - John Steventon countinued with his two sons Horace and Reginald as Steventon & Sons. 

• Originally continuing the manufacture of transferware and general earthenware for dinner, tea and toilet ware. 

• In 1929 Harold Holdcroft, the Head Designer at Burslem School of Art, joined Stevenson's where he stayed until around 1934 - his designs contained many bold and innovative designs of dinner and table ware, vases and elephant novelty ware. 

• The trade name 'Royal Venton Ware' was introduced around around 1930. 

• In 1931 Gladys Scarlett and Francis Van Phillips (who were co-workers at the painting studio of Clarice Cliff) joined Steventon producing art deco style ware - both of them had facsimiles of their signature on ware they designed. 

• In 1936 Steventon aquired the disused Cledford Works of Electro Bleach and By-Products at Middlewich, Cheshire.

• From around 1936 the business stopped manufacture of tableware and concentrated on production of sanitary ware and tiles. 

• In 1963 the company employed around 500 people at the Cledford Works. (Times Newspaper - 4 June 1963)

• In the late 1960s Steventon’s investment in a Canadian plant left them overstretched and the company was acquired by Ideal Standard who continued to manufacture sanitary ware at the Middlewich plant.

Picture courtesy: Clive Hurst 

the 'est 1897' refers to the previous company of  Brown & Steventon Ltd. 

At the age of 14 Gladys Scarlett joined the pottery company of Wilkinson's as a paintress and the following year (1926) she was working for Clarice Cliff, where there were eventually seventy girls painting Bizarre Ware.

In 1931, after a disagreement over wages, Gladys moved to Steventon's where worked as a paintress with the modeller, Mr. Frank Phillips. 

When Steventon changed to producing tiles she moved to Maddock's to supervise thirty girls painting and gilding an order for Cunard.  

Van Phillips

Francis Van Phillips was previously a  co-worker with Gladys Scarlett at the painting studio of Clarice Cliff. 

Pottery Gazette - January 1, 1932 

"In this present notice it is our desire to call special attention to a new range of table ware which has been produced by John Steventon & Sons Ltd, known as "Floretta" ware. This is a very attractive new line which has obviously entailed great expense in the modelling, since the whole appeal of the ware lies in the fact that it is a combination of art modelling and hand painting in naturalistic pastel shades. The final effect is greatly enhanced by the employment of a remarkably brilliant glaze. 

The new "Florretta" ware which is available in a long list of table articles, is certainly deserving of the special notice of trade buyers who will learn with interest that this is the particular pattern which has specially appealed on two recent occasions to Queen Mary, and thereby resulted in Royal purchases."

Harold Holdcroft

Harold Holdcroft (1904-1982) was a student at the Burslem School of Art from 1918 until 1920 then as a teacher. Eventually, by 1928, becoming Head Designer at the school. 

He moved to Steventon's from 1929 where he stayed until around 1934 - his designs contained many bold and innovative designs of dinner and table ware, vases and elephant novelty ware. 

Harold Holdcroft is particularly known for his subsequent years as Art Director at Royal Albert Bone China Works and for designing the world famous pattern “Old Country Roses”

early marks were a continuation of the style of the earlier 
Brown & Steventon Ltd.  

The original was produced by John Rogers & Son c.1814-36, and is known as "Rogers Elephant."

the registration number 760690 shows the name was registered in 1931 

the 'est 1897' refers to the previous company of  Brown & Steventon Ltd. 

Harold Holdcroft

The entrance to Steventon & Sons Royal Pottery works at the end of Steventon Place, off Market Place in Burslem. 

John Steventon (formerly Brown and Steventon) started in 1897 and latterly made Royal Venton table ware. From the mid 1930s the company specialised in tiles and sanitary ware.

The outside of a biscuit bottle oven at the Royal Pottery. 

The entrance (or wicket) to the oven is through the corrugated iron roofed porch.