James Broadhurst & Sons






 

Location and period of operation:

James Broadhurst

Longton

c. 1860

c. 1870

James Broadhurst

Fenton

c. 1870

1894

James Broadhurst & Sons

Fenton

1894

1922

James Broadhurst & Sons (Ltd)

Fenton

1922

1939

James Broadhurst & Sons (1939) Ltd

Fenton

1939

1959

James Broadhurst & Sons Ltd

Fenton

1959

1984

 

Earthenware manufacturer at the Crown Works, Longton and then from 1870 at the Portland Pottery, Fenton,   Stoke-on-Trent, England.

  • James Broadhurst started manufacturing at the Crown Works in Longton from around 1860.

  • Around 1870 the business moved to the newly build Portland Pottery, Frederick Street, Fenton. These works were build by John Aynsley and leased to James Broadhurst. In 1876 Broadhurst purchased the works from Aynsley.

  • In 1894 control of the business passed to Broadhurst's two sons James and Harry. James Broadhurst (senior) died in 1897. 

  • In 1922 the business was incorporated as a limited company and the Broadhurst brothers took on Edward Robert Roper as a new partner who became managing director and by 1926 he owned 50% of the company shares. In 1928 his son Edward Peter Roper joined the business. 

  • James Broadhurst (jnr) died in 1929. 

  • By 1933 the Roper family had purchased the remainder of the shares and the freehold of the Portland Pottery factory. Although the business was wholly in the hands of the Roper family the name of James Broadhurst & Sons was retained.     

  • On 10th May 1939 a resolution was passed that the company be voluntarily wound up. It was re-formed in the same year as James Broadhurst & Sons (1939) Ltd with Edward R. Roper and his wife Ida Roper as life directors.  Edward R. Roper died in 1941.

  • In 1941 the Broadhurst business was concentrated with with W. H. Grindley under the Wartime Concentration Scheme. Limited amounts of ware, produced by Grindley, was supplied to Broadhurst customers. The Portland Pottery buildings were used for wartime purposes. 

  • In 1945 Edward Peter Roper returned from war service and became the managing director of the dormant company. In October of 1945 manufacturing was restarted at the Portland Pottery for export only and in 1946 for domestic supply as well. 

  • In 1956 an extensive programme of modernisation was completed - a 1960 advert boasts "Our organisation is completely up-to-date and planned on modern streamlined lines enabling us to give quality and excellent value and to guarantee delivery on time" 

  • Edward Peter Roper's sons Michael and Stephen joined the business and in 1959 the company name was changed back to James Broadhurst & Sons (Ltd). The third son, Andrew, joined in 1973. 

  • In 1965 the hotel/catering ware manufacturer Sampson Bridgwood & Son Ltd was acquired - they continued to trade as Sampson Bridgwater & Son Ltd until 1984. 

  • To take advantage of the growing demand for mugs the Roper family established a new company, Churchill China Ltd and purchased the Longton based Crown Clarence Works from the Co-operative Wholesale Society. Churchill China operated as a subsidiary of James Broadhurst & Sons. 

  • In 1984 James Broadhurst & Sons Ltd was renamed Churchill Tableware Ltd and became the holding company for various businesses owned by the Roper family. At the same time the Sampson Bridgwater division was renamed Churchill Hotelware Ltd and became a subsidiary of Churchill Tableware Ltd. 

 

 

 




James Broadhurst & Sons (1939) Ltd
Fenton .  Stoke-on-Trent  .  Established 1847  

Pottery Gazette and Glass Trade Review - April 1953 


James Broadhurst & Sons Ltd
Established 1847
Earthenware manufacturers
Portland Pottery  .  Fenton  .  Stoke-on-Trent  

Pottery Gazette Reference Book - 1960 

The "established 1847" refers to the earlier company of Hampson, Broadhurst and Broadhurst 

 

 


 


platter in the Windsor pattern - printed outline, hand coloured

JAS. BROADHURST
Windsor
Made in England

mark probably introduced in the 1950s

photos courtesy:  Lucy Williams

 

 


 

 

Kathie Winkle 

 

plate in the Jamboree pattern by Kathie Winkle   
plate in the Jamboree pattern by Kathie Winkle
printed pattern, hand coloured

design from c.1960

 

 

    
plate in the Lynden pattern by Kathie Winkle

c. 1958-64 

photos courtesy: Hélène Giguère

 

 


Rushstone by Kathie Winkle 


Concord by Kathie Winkle 

 

 

Kathie Winkle - pottery designer

Kathie Winkle began her pottery career at Shorter and Son, Stoke-on-Trent, where she was trained as a paintress. 

She joined James Broadhurst & Sons Ltd., Portland Pottery, Fenton around 1950, initially as a paintress, but by 1958 she was producing her own designs. She soon became responsible for all Broadhurst’s pattern designs from then until the mid 1970s. The removal of post-war restrictions on the designers created a demand for new styles of kitchenware and Broadhursts were able to use Kathie Winkle’s ideas to meet this new market.

All designs from the late 1950s were printed on the ware by semi-automatic rubber stamping machines. The designs comprised two parts - an outline in black created by the stamping process with bright colours then hand painted in the spaces before the wares were glazed. The new geometric patterns were a clear departure from the more usual floral motifs found on tablewares.

During her time as a designer Kathie Winkle produced over 100 patterns. The shapes of the ware did not change. Simple forms proved a more suitable background for frequent pattern changes. It was also much cheaper to change the surface pattern rather than the shape of the pot and so a standard shape range was used. In addition, only a small number of colours, usually three or less, were used on each piece to reduce the cost of production. The fewer the strokes of a paintress’s pencil (brush), the better.

During the 1950s and 1960s it was particularly fashionable to create a coordinated interior design. Ceramics, textiles and wallpaper often matched. For a short period there were some boxed sets of ‘Kathie Winkle’ designs on pottery, complete with matching table linen.

However, as machine decorating techniques began to take over from hand painting in the mid 1970s, Kathie Winkle stopped designing and her patterns were slowly being phased out, although older designs continued in production. In 1978 she became a quality control manageress within the company. She retired in 1992.

Her name appears on the backstamp from 1964 and became the registered trademark for Broadhursts’ wares. It was also used from then on any pre-Winkle designs which were re-issued. This backstamp was used until around 1978 when she changed role within the company.

courtesy: Stoke-on-Trent museums

 

 


 

 

 

Initials and marks used on ware for identification:

Note: the pottery company of James Beech & Son also used the initials J B & S (and J B & Son) - their mark included a crowned Stafford knot with these initials. 

J B & Son

this is NOT the mark of Broadhurst - it is James Beech & Son

 

 


 

J. B.

c. 1860-70

 

J. B. & S.

1870-1922

J. B. & S. Ltd

1922+

 


 


BROADHURST
ENGLAND

impressed mark

 

post war (c. 1945+) included the name in full

 


 

c. 1958-64 

c. 1964-78 

Kathie Winkle was producing her own designs by 1958. However her name didn't appear on the backstamp until 1964 -  it then became the registered trademark for Broadhursts’ wares. 

The Winkle backstamp was also used from then on any pre-Winkle designs which were re-issued. This backstamp was used until around 1978 when she changed role within the company.

 


 

    
Broadhurst
Staffordshire
Est. 1847
Ironstone
England

- more on Ironstone -  

 


 

      

marks with the phrase 'Dishwasher Proof' are generally 1955 onwards 

 


 

 
Jas Broadhurst 
& Sons Ltd  
England

printed mark in use from 1957

 


 

 

    
Broadhurst 
England

printed mark in use from 1961 onward

often including the pattern name

 




J. Broadhurst 
Staffordshire
England

Constable Series
Bicentennial
1776-1976


Broadhurst 
Staffordshire
England

1977 Queen's Silver Jubilee

 

 


Questions, comments, contributions? email: Steve Birks