Samuel Alcock and Co  




 

Location and period of operation:

Samuel Alcock and Co

Cobridge 

 

Burslem

Aug 1826  

 

1828

1853

 

1859

 

Manufacturers of Porcelain, Parain and Earthenware at Cobridge and at the Hill Pottery, Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent, England. 

  • Samuel Alcock's introduction to the pottery industry began in the early 1820s when he joined an existing partnership, in Cobridge, between Ralph Stevenson and Augustus Aldborough Lloyd Williams. 

  • Augustus A. L. Williams left the partnership in August 1826. The partnership between Stevenson & Alcock continued as china manufacturers under the name Samuel Alcock & Co. 

  • In 1828 Samuel Alcock was also operating at the rented Hill Top pottery works in nearby Burslem. 

  • In 1832, with his nephew Joseph, he brought the pottery works from the Robinson family and extensively rebuilt the works. The front was in a classical style - completed around 1839. The novelist Arnold Bennett called these works "Sytch Pottery" in his Clayhanger novels. 

  • 1848 Samuel Alcock died on 10th November 1848. The firm was then run by his wife Elizabeth and two of his sons, Samuel and Thomas, employing up to 700 people until closure due to bankruptcy in 1859. 

Wikipedia article on Samuel Alcock

 

 

The London Gazette
1st May 1827


notice of the dissolution of the partnership of Ralph Stevenson, 
Samuel Alcock and Augustus Aldborough Lloyd Williams-
the business to continued by Samuel Alcock and 
Ralph Stevenson and Samuel Alcock & Co

The London Gazette
16th August 1831


notice of the expiry of the partnership between
 Samuel Alcock and Ralph Stevenson
 

The London Gazette
14th October 1859


notice of declaration of bankruptcy against Samuel Alcock (jnr)
and Thomas Alcock trading as Samuel Alcock & Co

 

 

 


Parian Bust in the Roman style
Published as the Act directs
by 
Saml Alcock & Co
Cobridge
Staffordshire 
Oct 1828

registered by Samuel Alcock & Co at Cobridge, October 1828

 


this mark with the date October 31st 1828, is found on a 
bust of Lord Byron - the mark includes the bee-hive device

 

 


Naomi and her Daughters-in-Law
 Parian ware jug decorated in lilac relief


The diamond registration mark gives the date of 
27 April 1847 for registration of the pattern

'156' is a pattern number

This version of the Royal Arms was used by Alcock
- it appears with or without the initials S.A. & Co.
or the name below it -

 


same mark as above with the addition of the
name 'SAMl ALCOCK & Co' 

 

 


Samuel Alcock & Co. majolica ware 
 moulded and decorated in bright colours with vines and flowering strawberry plants 

the back has impressed initials and beehive mark

 

 

 

 

Alcock's Indian Ironstone vase with lid

 


plate in the Indian Bridge pattern 
Indian Bridge
S A & Co

 

 

 


transferware printed plate in the Plume pattern 

the transfer used on this plate was actually designed for a slightly larger plate - 
this can be seen by the fact that the edge of the border does not fit fully in all of the scallop
shapes of the plate and the border does not join up properly (bottom right) where it has been cut to fit the circumference of the smaller plate.    


S. Alcock & Co
By Order of Stiffel Brothers Odessa

mark including the Royal Arms  

S A & Co

mark includes a bee hive

 Samuel Alcock produced this ware for the show rooms of the Stiffel Brothers
 Francis Morley also produced ware for Stiffel

The Stiffel brothers were importers who had a show room in Odessa, Russia from 1819 to 1858 it was a free port 

 

photos courtesy: DeAnna Myers 

 

 

 

  


hand coloured plate - after the willow pattern style
Indian Iron Stone

the arms are those of 
the East India Company

  

 


plate in the Naples Shield printed pattern
Naples Shield

printed pattern name with an impressed 
ALCOCK and the bee hive mark

 

 

 

Initials & marks used on ware for identification:

The firm used printed, painted and impressed marks of many different styles. 

Most ware does not have a place name included. For those that do 'Cobridge' dates c.1826-53 and 'Burslem' dates 1828 to 1859.

Many Samuel Alcock marks included a printed or impressed bee hive mark - the beehive was often used as a picture of industry and cooperation - the use of this mark on pottery appears to have first been used by Samuel Alcock.

The Hill Works were subsequently used by many potters and some of them (e.g. Dunn Bennett and Burgess & Leigh) carried on the use of the beehive mark. 

When the company closed the models and moulds were sold to numerous buyers, and later ware from these moulds were often unmarked.

 

S. A. & Co.

Saml Alcock & Co

S. Alcock & Co

these initials and name appear as 
printed or impressed marks
with and without the Royal Arms 

 


Published as the Act directs
by 
Saml Alcock & Co
Cobridge
Staffordshire 
Oct 1828

mark with the place name 'Cobridge' 

 

 


Published by 
S Alcock & Co. 
Burslem 
July 1st 1842

Impressed mark on a raised pad

'36' is the pattern number
Semi Porcelain
S Alcock and Co. 
Hill Pottery
Burslem 

Impressed mark

 

examples of marks with the place name 'Burslem' 

 

  

Marks incorporating the Royal Arms were used by Alcock
- it appears with or without the initials S.A. & Co.
or the name below it -

 


MADRAS
S A & Co

printed mark on flow blue plate
'MADRAS' is the pattern name 

 

The beehive mark:

 


S. A. & Co 
"Commerce" is the pattern name the mark is an impressed bee hive
ALCOCK 

The beehive was often used as a picture of industry and cooperation - the use of this mark on pottery appears to have first been used by Samuel Alcock.

The Hill Works were subsequently used by many potters and some of them (e.g. Dunn Bennett and Burgess & Leigh) carried on the use of the beehive mark. 

 

 


SAMl ALCOCK & Co
PEARL
Florentine China


 


ROYAL STAR
Florentine China

mark without the ALCOCK name 

Samuel Alcock & Co produced a series of patterns with the trade name 'Florentine China' the mark always includes the beehive symbol which was often used by Alcock, the name of the company does not always appear.

 



Alcock's
Indian Ironstone

 


Indian Iron Stone

Alcock's
Indian Ironstone

Alcock's Indian Ironstone ware was no different than any other stone ware body that they produced - the name was chosen for ware exported to the Indian sub-continent. 
Sometimes the ware bears the arms of  the East India Company - a notorious English trading company. 

Augustus Aldborough Lloyd Williams (a short term partner of Ralph Stevenson and Samuel Alcock) entered the navy in 1804. After discharge from the navy he went to India in the East India country-service. It was likely that he was able to aid sale of their ware to India through the company. 

 

 

 

- click for information on the Hill Pottery - 

In 1828 Samuel Alcock was also operating at the rented Hill Top pottery works in Burslem. 

In 1832, with his nephew Joseph, he brought the pottery works from the Robinson family and extensively rebuilt the works. The front was in a classical style - completed around 1839. The novelist Arnold Bennett called these works "Sytch Pottery" in his Clayhanger novels. 

 

Questions, comments, contributions? email: Steve Birks