Earthenware manufacturer at Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent, England.

Wood & Sons was a renowned English pottery manufacturer based in Burslem, Staffordshire, operating from the mid-19th century into the late 20th century. 
Founded in 1865 by Absalom Wood a great grandson of one of the original three Wood brothers. The company became well known for producing high-quality earthenware catering to both domestic and international markets. 
During the 20th century, Wood & Sons expanded its production - at its height they directly employed around 1,000 people and acquired a number other pottery firms. 

• Established in 1865 by Absalom Wood and his son Thomas Francis Wood - Thomas was the fifth generation in line to Moses Wood who was brother to Aaron and Ralph.

• In 1877 Thomas Francis Wood, along with his brother William, purchased for £5,075 a site in Navigation Road, which they called New Wharf Pottery, and which they had probably been tenants or since 1875. 

• Thomas, a prominent citizen in the potteries and later to become the Mayor of Burslem, built Wood and Sons into one of the largest companies in the area.

• In 1921 Harry F. Wood succeeded his father, Thomas F. Wood, as the chairman and under his leadership the company became a prolific and successful pottery manufacturer.

• The business became a public company in 1954 under the name Wood & Sons (Holdings) Ltd - although Wood and Sons Ltd continued as the main operating company. Just over half of the shares were owned by the family and a large proportion of the remaining shares were held by employees, so few shares were available for the general public.

• In 1941 Wood & Sons was designated a Nucleus Firm under the Wartime Concentration Scheme. 

Wood & Sons Ltd Trent, New Wharf and Stanley Potteries Burslem. A complex group was
concentrated to gain this nucleus certificate - Susie Cooper Pottery Ltd Crown Works Newcastle Street Burslem, H. .J Wood Ltd Alexander Pottery Burslem, G. M. Creyke & Sons Ltd Bell Works Broad Street Hanley plus the associated companies - The Bell Pottery Co. Ltd Bell Works Broad Street Hanley, T Pope & Co. Ranelagh Street Hanley. Creyke and associated companies were closed-down for the duration and were out of business. Susie Cooper and H. J. Wood marketed their goods and traded as separate entities.

• Wartime restrictions started to be lifted towards the end of 1945. Wood & Sons were chosen to exhibit at the 1951 "Festival of Great Britain" 

• In the 1950's & 60's the company was employing 1,000 people.

• During the 1970's the company had to fight two unsuccessful takeover bids from local companies, the first in 1975 by a small family company called Barrets and in 1979 by Staffordshire Pottery. The unfortunate effect of fighting these unsuccessful takeover bids was to weaken the company and by 1981 the companies financial position had deteriorated to such an extent that it was found impossible to continue, the bank took control of the business and by 1982 it was necessary to call in the receivers.

• The business was purchased by Edmund Yorke, who had been the company secretary in the old Woods company for many years, he was joined by his nephew Norman Edmund Yorke who had been the accountant at Wood and Sons. They continued the production of tableware in the Stanley Works, Newport Lane, Burslem with the name of Wood and Sons retained but no longer under the control of the Woods family.

•  In 2005 the business finally closed.

Factories:

• At the Trent and New Wharf Potteries, Burslem.

• Later at the Stanley Pottery (which was purchased by Wood's in 1931 - it was made up of two factories - the Stanley Pottery and the Crown Pottery).
  

Associated companies:

• H. J. Wood Ltd at the Alexandra Pottery, Burslem

• Bursley Ltd at the Crown Pottery, Burslem - later renamed Susie Cooper Pottery Co. Ltd.

• Ellgreave Pottery Co. Ltd at Ellgreave Street, Burslem

on the Wood family of potters

Wood & Sons - 1951 Advert 

the advert shows traditionally designed 
floral patterned formal dinner ware  

Wood & Sons - 1956 Advert 

five years later this advert places the emphasis 
on a new range of contemporary styled ware

traditionally designed floral patterned dinner ware 
with maroon band, gilt patterned rim and edging

Wood’s Ivory Ware was introduced around 1930 - it was a fine earthenware with a smooth, ivory-like finish. This line was widely used for tableware and decorative pieces, noted for its durability and elegant aesthetic. 

Production of Ivory Ware continued 
into the 1950s

Wood & Sons Ltd
England

c.1910+ 

probably 1910-20s

platter in the popular Asiatic Pheasants pattern

- more on the Asiatic Pheasants pattern - 

probably produced by Wood & Sons

The Yuan pattern was designed by Wood's art director, Frederick Rhead. It is probably his best known tableware design. 

The pattern was introduced in 1916 and an advert in the 1930s described it as "a reproduction of a charming oriental design from the 13thC YUAN dynasty (1280-1367)".
See Wikipedia article on the Yuan dynasty. 

With the exception of the Wartime Restrictions of 1941-45 the Yuan pattern was more or less in continuous production from 1916 to the 1980s, making it one of Wood's longest-lived and most successful pattern. After a gap in the 1990s, Woods re-introduced the design around 2003 until its closure in 2005. 

Mostly produced as in a blue & white pattern, occasionally in brown. Some variations include gilt banding and rim patterns. Small quantities were made with hand colouring. 

"YUAN"
Wood & Sons
England
RdNo 656368
Made in England

The registration number shows that the pattern was registered in 1916.

For some unknown reason ware in the Seaforth pattern has the same 656368 registration number.   

Seaforth 
Wood & Sons
England
Rd No 656368

For some unknown reason ware in the Seaforth pattern has the same 656368 registration number.  

Seaforth 
Made in England

Mark incorporating the Stafford Knot.

A large proportion of ware in the Seaforth pattern is produced with this mark, having no reference to the manufacturer Wood & Sons

This style of mark was introduced 
around 1931

platter in the blue & white Saxon pattern 

This pattern by Wood & Sons is based on a Delft pattern - a number of other Staffordshire potters produced similar patterns with different names -  Ridgway 'Danish Blue'; Aynsley & Co 'Copenhagen'; Johnson Brothers 'Indies'; Myott 'Finlandia' 

Mark incorporating the Stafford Knot.

Ware in the Saxon pattern is produced with this mark, having no reference to the manufacturer Wood & Sons

Pottery manufacturers were not always consistent with identification marks, even with the same pattern. 

This tea set is a good example of the inconsistency in marking:

• One side plate has a printed mark with a complete set of manufacturer, pattern and body type description.

• Another plate has no printed marks - it simply has an impressed number 833 (perhaps a workman's number or a shape identification).

• Of the cups one has a makers name but no further description and one simple has a cast-in 'ENGLAND'.

• The milk jug has a printed mark with the makers name and 'Ivorine China' but no pattern name.

one of the side plates has no printed marks, just an impressed '833' 

the hand painted marks will be decorator marks 

ENGLAND

(moulded mark)

teapot in 'Alpine White' glaze, printed pattern with hand applied gilt

- more on Ironstone -  

Ellgreave England
[cast in]

the printed 11-69 is the month-year of manufacturer 
in this case November 1969

c.1891-1907

c.1907-10

c.1910+