Blue John Pottery Ltd

Earthenware manufacturer at Union Street, Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent, England.

The Blue John Pottery was started around 1936 by members of the Lockett family as a pottery dealer & wholesaler. [The name 'Blue John' is possibly derived from the rare blue-banded fluorspar mineral known as 'Blue-John' found near Castleton in Derbyshire].
From around 1939 the business became a manufacturer of low cost, low quality, general and fancy earthenware.
The 1960 Pottery Gazette reference book records that they were manufacturers of: "EARTHENWARE... badged ware, beakers, canteen ware, cups (eggs), floral fancies, hospital ware, jugs (flowers), nursery ware, pie funnels, plaques, teapots (earthenware, decorated) vases, wall vases."
In 1960 the company officers were: Managing Director - H. E. Lockett, Sales Director - H. E. Lockett Jnr, Works Manager - R. D. Stephenson.
Although some directories state 'Estd. 1886', this is not the date of the start of Blue John Pottery - it will be the date of an earlier pottery company on the same site.
Harold E. Lockett (the elder) died in 1967. Mr. Harold E. Lockett, Jnr was the Managing Director when the business closed in September 1975.

Blue John Pottery produced a range of English football team related money-boxes and mugs
- these were produced on standards and the team colours/names hand painted over the glaze -