Co-operative Wholesale Society Ltd (China manufacture)






 

Location and period of operation:

Co-operative Wholesale Society Ltd (China manufacture)

Longton  

1911

  1971

 

Bone China manufacturer at the Windsor Pottery, Longton, Stoke-on-Trent, England.

  • The Co-operative Wholesale Society Ltd (CWS) manufactured Bone China at the Windsor Pottery, Edensor Road, Longton. 

  • Previously the Windsor Pottery was operated by Hill & Co. 

  • There appears to have been some discrepancy in the start date for the CWS, or an overlap in manufacturing, as Hill & Co are recorded as closing in 1920 and the CWS are recorded as starting in 1911.

  • In 1971 the business was sold to Hammersley and Co (Longton) Ltd. who ran the works as a separate business under the name 'Royal Windsor' 

NOTE: The CWS also operated an earthenware factory at the Crown Clarence Works. 

The Co-operative Society produced commemorative ware for a number of Co-op branches and districts - generally to celebrate Gala and Anniversary events.

 

 

 

Windsor Fine Bone China:


Windsor Fine Bone China

Pottery Gazette Reference Book - 1960 

"Windsor" was a trade name of the 
Co-operative Wholesale Society

 

 

Windsor bone china plate with printed mark c1946 +   

typical bone china tea ware 

 



cups & saucers with an identical  chrysanthemum pattern - but different backstamps...


one set has the 'normal' Windsor mark 

 
the other set is marked 'Royal London' - this may be a mark used after 1971 by Hammersley when they took over the business and ran it as 'Royal Windsor'

photos courtesy:  Thea Hawryluk 

 

 

Marks used on ware for identification:

The trade name was "Windsor" Bone China and from mid 1950s also included
"Clarence" bone chine - visually there was nothing to distinguish one from the other.

Generally the initials C.W.S. were only used in earlier marks  

 

 

   
C.W.S.
Windsor China

c.1911+

 

 

c.1946+

c.1950+

c.1960+

Windsor 
Bone China
Made in England

 

mid 1950s+

mid 1950s+

Clarence 
Bone China
Made in England

 

 


C.W.S Ltd. - Windsor Pottery  

 


Windsor and Elektra Potteries, Longton

November 1962 - Bert Bentley Collection

The photograph show the two large updraught hovel ovens in the foreground, which dominated the works. These works were demolished in 1975 and the site now lies beneath the A50 road.

The Windsor and Elektra Potteries were on Edensor Road, just before the junction with Clayton Road. This photograph was taken looking south from in front of the old Alhambra Cinema, with Clayton Road going off to the left of the Windsor Pottery.  

Windsor Pottery was owned and operated by the Co-operative Wholesale Society from 1911. The CWS was part of the Co-op group of shops and suppliers. In Longton, the CWS also operated the Crown Clarence Pottery. The Windsor Pottery produced bone china and was previously operated by Hill & Co. 

Courtesy: Staffordshire Past Track

 

Questions, comments, contributions? email: Steve Birks

 

 

related pages...

Index page for the Co-operative Society in Stoke-on-Trent