Earthenware and porcelain manufacturers at Keeling's Lane, Hanley and then at the Big Works, Church Street, Stoke, Stoke-on-Trent, England.

• Zachariah Boyle (b.1783, Leeds, Yorkshire) moved to North Staffordshire c.1822 to become a pottery manufacturer.

• He took the potworks in Keeling's Lane, Hanley which was previously occupied by Marsh & Willatt until they were declared bankrupt in 1822. 

• The Keeling's Lane factory was offered to sale or to let in September 1828 and was still available in 1830. 

• In 1828 Boyle leased a part of Wolfe's Big Works in Church Street, Stoke - a large earthenware pottery with eight ovens. 

• In December 1836 John Boyle, the eldest son of Zachariah, left the family business and joined Herbert Minton under the style of Minton & Boyle.

• Zachariah Boyle died in December 1841 - the business was continued under the name of Zachariah Boyle & Sons.

• One of the sons, Joseph Boyle, retired in November 1844. The business was continued by Samuel Boyle (the youngest son) and the executors of Zachariah Boyle's estate.

The sons..

In 1836 John Boyle, the eldest son of Zachariah, left the family business and joined Herbert Minton under the style of Minton & Boyle. John Boyle looked after the commercial side of the business. Boyle & Minton did not always see eye to eye and the partnership was dissolved in 1841. In about 1842 Boyle (d. 1845) became a partner with Francis Wedgwood (who at that time was in charge of Josiah Wedgwood & Sons.)

Zachariah’s fourth son, Samuel, briefly took over the Fenton Stone Works in 1848/9 after the bankruptcy of C.J. Mason, but his own bankruptcy followed in 1852 and the Fenton manufactory and flint mill was sold to E. Challinor.

Sources:

Boyle & Son(s) - Printed British Pottery, & Porcelain. 

Godden - Guide to Ironstone, Stone & Granite Wares.

The London Gazette.  

notice that John Boyle had retired from the 
partnership of Zachariah Boyle & Son

In December 1836 John Boyle, the eldest son of Zachariah, left the family business and joined Herbert Minton under the style of Minton & Boyle.

The London Gazette
28 March 1845

 
notice that Joseph Boyle had retired from the 
partnership of Zachariah Boyle & Sons

photos courtesy: Laura Gutierrez Hoffmann

The Chinese Flora pattern was produced by Zachariah Boyle & Sons with the printed mark of a shield with crown above and anchor behind and initials ZB in a scroll beneath. 

Following the failure of the business around 1850 there was a bankruptcy sale in 1852. It is thought that some of Boyle’s engraved copper transfer plates were purchased by Lewis Woolf of Ferrybridge Pottery, Yorkshire. 

Examples are known with the identical pattern and printed mark altered to the initials LW, illustrating the reuse of transfer designs between manufacturers.

NOTE: a modern Chinese manufacturer has used the style of the Zachariah Boyle mark
on their ware which they have called Flora & Fauna and Alpha Omega. 

• Although these marks say 'Staffordshire England' the ware is made in China.

• Zachariah Boyle did not make patterns called Flora & Fauna and Alpha Omega.