J F Wileman
Wileman & Co






 

Location and period of operation:

James F Wileman
- earthenware -

Fenton

1869

1892

James F Wileman
- china -

Fenton

1869

1872

Wileman & Co
- china -

Fenton

1872

1892

 

 Earthenware and china manufacturers at The Foley Potteries, Foley, Fenton, Stoke-on-Trent, England

  • About 1868 Charles Wileman had retired, his brother James Frederick Wileman became the owner of both the china and earthenware works. James had been sole owner of the earthenware factory from 1866.

  • In 1872 James took Joseph Ball Shelley into partnership at the china works. Shelley had first joined the business in 1862 as a travelling salesman under James' father Henry Wileman. 

  • The earthenware ware was marked 'J W Wileman' and from 1872 the china ware was marked 'Wileman & Co' 

  • In January 1885 Wileman retired from the business at the china works and Shelley continued on his own account - the name 'Wileman & Co' was retained.

  • The earthenware business continued at the Foley Potteries under Wileman's control.

  • In 1892 James F Wileman retired and the original Foley Potteries was closed and its contents sold. 

 

Previously: James & Charles Wileman

Subsequently:  Wileman & Co. 

 

 

WILEMAN, James Frederick (d. 1900), pottery manufacturer, Fenton. 

J F W was the son of Henry Wileman, a London (Paddington) china and earthenware dealer who came to the Potteries about 1853 and went into partnership with Joseph King Knight at the Foley Potteries. James and his brother Charles joined their father from 1864 to 1868, when Charles took the new china works built by Henry Wileman in 1860 and James took the original works. Charles retired in 1870 and JFW assumed control of both potteries. 

He was in partnership with J. B. Shelley in1872, trading as Wileman and Company. The factory produced household wares, most of the products going to overseas markets. Both brothers served as Fenton improvement commissioners in 1864, and James was chief bailiff 1870-2 and chairman of the Board of Health in 1825. 

Eventually he became an alderman on Stafford county council, and served as chairman of the Staffordshire Potteries Water Board.

'People of the Potteries' 
Sources: Dir. 1872, Fenton Commissioners' Minutes; Jewitt.

 

NOTE: The books 'People of the Potteries' and 'Staffordshire Potters 1781 -1900' give the middle name of J F Wileman as 'Francis', however the London Gazette entry and 1871 census (see below) gives the middle name as 'Frederick', it is this latter name that is correct. 

 

 

 

London Gazette 
20 January 1885

 
Notice that the partnership 'Wileman & Co' between
James Frederick Wileman and Joseph Ball Shelley
was dissolved - J B Shelley continued on his own
account, retaining the name 'Wileman & Co'
 


1871 census for James Frederick Wileman, 355 Lightwood, Trentham Parish

 

James Frederick Wileman b1834 d1900, 
Father: Henry Wileman 1798, Mother: Ann Ludford 1799
Married: Emma Goddard b1835, Longton, Staffordshire

information courtesy: Karen & John  

 

 

James F Wileman
The Foley Potteries, Fenton

 The Pottery Gazette, American and Canadian Edition, January 1st 1880

 

 

James F Wileman
The Foley Potteries, Fenton

The Pottery Gazette,  February 2nd 1880

 

 


child's alphabet plate 
with impressed mark J F Wileman  

 

 


brown transferware lidded tureen in the VICTORIA pattern 

 

 

 
brown transferware plate in the ALBERT pattern
J F Wileman
Foley Potteries Staffordshire

 



handleless cup with Saucer decorated with the traditional Tea Leaf motif 

- more on ironstone china -  
Warranted
impressed

Ironstone China
Richelieu Shape
James F. Wileman
printed

the mark incorporates the British Royal Arms

photos courtesy: Kim Frank 

 

 

 

Marks & initials used on earthenware for identification:

Earthenware was manufactured at the Foley Potteries until 1892 when James Frederick Wileman retired.

Many different style of marks were used.
All earthenware marked 'J F W' or 'J W Wileman', sometimes with 'FOLEY POTTERIES' was produced in the 1866 to 1892 period.

 

J F W

J F WILEMAN

 

 


J.F. WILEMAN

Impressed mark 


J.F.W. (printed)
J.F. WILEMAN (Impressed)

'CANTON' is the pattern name


J.F.W.
Foley Potteries

'SPRING' is the pattern name

 

 

 


J.F. WILEMAN
FOLEY POTTERIES 

'SEXAGON' is the pattern name

the registration diamond gives a date of 1871 for the date of registration of the pattern

J F WILEMAN  
J.F. WILEMAN
FOLEY POTTERIES 
STAFFORDSHIRE

'LAKE SCENERY' is the pattern name


FOLEY POTTERIES 
J.F. WILEMAN

'FLOWER SPRAYS' is the pattern name


J.F. WILEMAN
FOLEY POTTERIES 
STAFFORDSHIRE

'ALBERT' is the pattern name


J.F. WILEMAN
FOLEY 
POTTERIES 
STAFFORDSHIRE

'LILY' is the pattern name

 

 

 


W C & Co

standard mark - intertwined W and Co
with crown above 

marks in this style are post 1872 and 
are those of Wileman & Co

 

 

Marks & initials used on china ware for identification:
From 1869 to 1872 James Frederick Wileman operated the china works on his own account.
Any china ware marked 'J F W' or 'J W Wileman' was produced in the 1869 to 1872 period.

In 1872 James took Joseph B Shelley into partnership at the china works and the name was changed to Wileman & Co. 
Even after Wileman retired from the china business in 1885 the name 'Wileman & Co' continued to be used.

 

 



1879 map showing the Foley Potteries

- click map for more -

 

Questions, comments, contributions? email: Steve Birks