E Clarke

Phoenix Works, Tunstall

"..the (Phoenix) works passed into the hands of Mr. Bridgwood, by whom (being joined in partnership by Edward Clarke in 1858) they were carried on under the style of Bridgwood & Clarke. Mr. Bridgwood dying in 1864, Mr. Clarke became sole proprietor and carried on the concern until 1877, when he removed to the New Bridge Works, at Longport, and later to the Churchyard Works at Burslem.

The marks used were EDWARD CLARKE impressed on the body of the ware, and the royal arms with supporters, garter, motto, etc., above a flowing ribbon on which are the words EDWARD CLARKE. PORCELAIN OPAQUE, and beneath, TUNSTALL. Edward Clarke continued at Burslem until about 1887."

Churchyard Works, Burslem

"About that period Mr. Bridgwood, of Tunstall, became the tenant of the (Churchyard) premises as a general earthenware manufacturer, and was soon afterwards joined in partnership by Mr. Edward Clarke, whose large practical experience tended much to increase the reputation of the works. This firm, having taken a lease of the premises, remodelled many of the buildings, and erected others, and greatly improved the whole place by bringing to bear many improvements in body unknown and unthought of by their predecessors.

After Mr. Bridgwood's decease, which took place in 1864, these works, and the large establishment at Tunstall, were carried on by the surviving partner, Mr. Clarke, until after a time he ceased working them, when they passed into other hands as his tenants. ....The productions of the Churchyard Works, while carried on by Mr. Clarke, were opaque porcelain of the finest and hardest quality (known as "white granite"), for the American market, and ordinary earthenware of the finest quality in the usual services ; many of the services, &c., being embossed in excellently designed patterns, and others artistically painted and gilt. One of the notable features was artists' goods (palettes, tiles, slabs, saucers, &c.), and door furniture, both black, white, and highly gilt and decorated. The impressed mark was " Bridgwood and Clarke," and the printed mark a royal arms, with the words " Porcelain Opaque, B & C, Burslem.""

New Bridge Works, Longport.

"This manufactory, spoken of ... 'as one of those carried on by Messrs. W. Davenport and Son', in 1877 passed into the hands of Mr. Edward Clarke, formerly of the Church Yard Works at Burslem, and of the Phcenix Works
at Tunstall ...., who removed thither from the last named place. In that year Mr. Clarke took into partnership Mr. F. J. Emery, the inventor of the process of crayon drawing and painting on the bisque surface, ....
Mr. Clarke, whose productions both at Burslem and at Tunstall are spoken of in other parts of this volume, produces the finest, hardest, and most
durable earthenware in " white granite " for the American markets, where it takes and maintains the highest rank. He also produces all the usual services in various styles of decoration, for the home trade. The mark used by the new firm is the name " EDWARD CLARKE & CO.""

Jewitt's Ceramic Art of Great Britain 1878

Edward Clarke White Stone China
the plate on the left has the Longport mark and the platter on the right has the earlier Tunstall mark

Often the name of the town where the factory was located was often
added to the mark and this is a guide to the date of manufacture:

Edward Clarke
Tunstall

c.1865-77

Use of the Royal Arms by Edward Clarke in the style of the
previous "Bridgwood & Clarke"

on the use of Royal Arms

fragment of Edward Clare ware found
in San Jose, Calfornia, USA

Found at San Jose, just a short distance from what was once a large mercury mine - the New Almaden Mine (named after the largest mercury mine in Almaden, Spain). It started operation in the 1840's.

Miners from Cornwall, England, made their way to the mines, and founded ‘Englishtown’.

photo courtesy: Jim Hannan

this style of mark was often used for ware exported to America
the shield on the left represented the stars and stripes of the USA
and the shield on the right is the shield of the Royal Arms of the UK

both these shards were found at a rural farm site in Northern California, US,
that had known residents around 1865-1870

white ironstone recovered by Chris Welborn diving in Oregon, USA
where the Columbia River empties into the Pacific Ocean.
this area is close to Fort Stevens

Edward Clarke (& Co)	Tunstall	c1865	1877
	Longport	c1877	1880
	Burslem	c1880	1887