Earthenware manufacturer at the Colonial Pottery, Whieldon Road, on the border of the pottery towns of Fenton and Stoke, Stoke-on-Trent, England

• Frederick Winkle and William Wood had originally been in business together at the Pearl Pottery in Hanley, from 1881 as Wood, Hines & Winkle and then from 1885 as Winkle & Wood.

• In 1888 Winkle and Wood jointly opened the purpose built Colonial Pottery Works in Whieldon Road on the border of Stoke and Fenton. 

• There must have been a significant disagreement between the two because in September 1889 the partnership was dissolved. Frederick Winkle continued on his own at the Colonial Pottery as Winkle & Co and Wood continued at the Pearl Pottery works, Hanley.

• By 1909 the business was operated by the brothers Frederick Winkle and Arthur Ernest Winkle. Another brother. L. H. Winkle, appears to have been involved in some manner.  (The Pottery Gazette, July 1 1913, pp1417-8.)

• c. 1911 the business was incorporated as a Limited Company. 

• At some time in the early 20th c. the business was controlled by the Hewitt brothers - William and Joseph; (who were later also the owners of Barker Bros in Longton). The business continued under the name F Winkle & Co Ltd. Perry Michael (2010) A handbook of British Pottery Manufacturers 1900-2010, p261.

• In 1931 the business of F. Winkle & Co Ltd was taken over by Ridgways (Bedford Works) Ltd who took the manufacturing in-house. 

• The Colonial Pottery Works was taken by a new company - Whieldon Sanitary Potteries Ltd - who in turn became (around 1949) a subsidiary of Doulton & Co.

• The works were demolished c.2000. 

 notice of the dissolution of the partnership between Frederick Winkle and William Wood, Earthenware manufacturers at the Colonial Pottery on the 28th September 1889.

• In 1888 Winkle and Wood jointly opened the purpose built Colonial Pottery Works in Whieldon Road on the border of Stoke and Fenton. 

• There must have been a significant disagreement between the two because in September 1889 the partnership was dissolved. Frederick Winkle continued on his own at the Colonial Pottery as Winkle & Co and Wood continued at the Pearl Pottery works, Hanley.

"Mr. John Porter has been appointed the London representative of this firm, in succession to the late Mr. J. T. Pitcairn. The fine showrooms at 13, Charterhouse-street, E.C., are continued. They are on the ground floor, and are open every day. The company are manufacturers of dinner and toilet ware, pedestals and pots, vases, fancy goods, &c. (The firm are also manufacturers of closets, lavatories, and other sanitary wares of the most improved types. Mr. W. J. Bowring has charge of this department in London, and samples are on show at the same rooms, 13, Charterhouse-street, E.C.) 

Mr. F. Winkle, the head of the firm, is one of the best-known men in the Potteries, and the "Colonial Pottery" and its products are familiar to dealers all over the kingdom, it may be said in nearly all the markets of the world. 

Mr. Winkle is a practical potter, and still exercises a general supervision over the entire works. There cannot be any doubt that the constant improvement in the firm’s productions is due largely to his intelligent oversight. The samples shown at the London rooms are evidence of his energy and enterprise. There is a fine array of pedestals and pots, many of them of noble proportions, and all tastefully modelled and skilfully ornamented. There are several severely classical forms amongst them, while others of modern design are excellent specimens of artistic pottery.

Effective colouring is one of the strong features in these goods ; some very rich decorations in blue and gold are cases in point. Toilet ware is another branch of pottery in which Messrs. Winkle hold a high position, one side of the long showroom presenting a varied selection of shapes and decorations in this line. We give an illustration of two of these: one, the "Elgin," has a tall ewer, a good form which lends itself to many styles of decorative treatment. The illustration shows it decorated with violets and gilt. The other ewer and basin shown represent the "Plain Louis" shape, a nice form, not so tall as the "Elgin." The ornamentation shown is a neat arrangement of flowers and festoons. The "Peerless" and the "Ripley" are amongst other new toilet shapes. 

From a large number of very good dinner patterns we have selected the "Albion" shape, of which we illustrate a vegetable dish and a dinner plate. The cover dish is a pleasing oval shape, with sunk lid. The decorations include many excellent border patterns, with and without coloured bands. 

The firm are now making a variety of vases and other art shapes, richly decorated. There are many ranges of these, and they exhibit great diversity in outline and ornament, and all are good. The firm are showing art flower pots in an almost endless variety of designs, with tasteful embossments and nice bright colourings. Hanging pots are also shown in many patterns. In fancy goods some quaint Dutch subjects are introduced as decorations on jugs, &c." 

The Pottery Gazette August 1, 1907. pp922-3

19th century brown transfer ware ironstone vase in the Aesthetic Movement pattern "Versaille" 

  F W & Co

VERSAILLE is the pattern name

the registration number 27608 shows that the pattern was originally registered on the 30th May 1885 to Wood, Hines & Winkle at the Pearl Pottery, Brook Street, Hanley 

"STARS" is the pattern name

the registration number 33382 shows that the pattern was originally registered on the 16th September 1885 to Winkle & Wood at the Pearl Pottery, Brook Street, Hanley 

"FENTON FAIENCE" is a trade name that F. Winkle introduced in 1891 as a marketing tool. 

FENTON from the location of the pottery works in the pottery town of Fenton and FAIENCE after the popular European tin glazed earthenware.

There were two patterns, Severn and Surrey, marketed under this trade name - both were registered on the 15th October 1891 making them amongst the earlier patterns registered by F Winkle & Co. 

Most of the ware in the Severn and Surrey patterns were brown printed on everyday dinner and tea sets. Occasionally the patterns were hand coloured and appeared on decorative items. 

The Severn pattern consists of a trailing plant with spiky leaves and five petal blooms

The Surry pattern has trailing sprays of dog roses with leaves and flowers

the registration number 334325 shows that the pattern was registered on the 24th February 1899 

F. Winkle & Co
England 

c. 1890-1910
several marks used the Winkle name in full
'Ltd' was added from 1911 

dish in the PHEASANT pattern - printed outline and hand coloured  

this pattern was based on the very popular blue & white Asiatic Pheasants pattern 

Whieldon Ware

Semi-Porcelain
F. Winkle & Co 
England 

c.1908-11

The circular 'Whieldon Ware' mark was introduced in 1908 and continued until 1925. Generally after 1911 the '& Co' was replaced by '& Co Ltd' 

Whieldon Ware
F. Winkle & Co Ltd
England 

1911-1925

several marks used the Winkle name in full - this style of mark was used from 1908 -  'Ltd' was added from 1911 

Shard found on the beach in Whitby, Yorkshire, England [2023] 

This ware was produced for and supplied to the British Government; it was ultimately property of the Crown/Government. 

F. Winkle (and others) were given government contracts throughout the late 1900s (WWI) and beyond and produced canteen ware - most likely for the armed services.

The ‘W’ within the diamond relates to the products being commissioned and produced for the Office of Works. This mark is there to distinguish the piece from being normal ‘utilitarian’ ware for public sale or belonging to anyone organisation. 

F. W. & Co

c. 1890 

F. W. & Co
England

1891-1911 

F. Winkle & Co
England
Whieldon Ware

1908-1911 

1890-1925 

Whieldon 
Ware

1908-1925

this circular mark is usually accompanied by other marks
 

Winkle used the trade name 'Whieldon Ware'
after the name of a famous 18th Century 
potter Thomas Whieldon who lived and worked
in this area.

The road that Winkle's Colonial Pottery was
situated on is called Whieldon Road

F. Winkle & Co

1908-1911 

F. Winkle & Co Ltd

1911-1925 

'Ltd' was added after 1911