Co-operative Wholesale Society Ltd

Bone China	Windsor Pottery, Longton	1911	1971
Earthenware	Crown Clarence Works, Longton	1946	1970

The Co-operative Wholesale Society was an significant manufacturer of everyday homewares some of which was sold in the UK through the network of local, district co-operative stores. As well as supplying the U.K. Co-op stores, tea and dinner ware was exported.
Manufacturing took place in the town of Longton, Stoke-on-Trent, England.

Bone China manufacture took place at the Windsor Pottery from 1911 to 1971
Earthenware manufacture at the Crown Clarence Works from 1946 to 1970

the marks used the trade names 'Windsor' and 'Crown Clarence'
there was no reference to the Co-operative Wholesale Society

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

This commemorative ware tends to use a back stamp of the logo of a wheat sheaf and the motto 'Labor and Wait'

The CWS are recorded as starting in 1911 ('Encyclopedia of British Pottery and Porcelain Marks' Geoffrey Godden) - although some CWS ware was made for events at least as early as 1906. It may be that pottery manufacture started before 1911 or that the Co-op had this ware made for them by others. However the use of the town name LONGTON, which is where the Co-op pottery factory was located, perhaps indicates that the ware was made by the Co-op themselves.

C.W.S.
Longton
Labor and Wait

The Co-operative Wholesale Society Ltd (CWS) logo of a wheat sheaf and the motto 'Labor and Wait' was used as a makers mark.

Labor is spelt without the 'U' in the American style.

This was quite intentional. The CWS was progressive in the liberal tradition, they were supporters of the Union in the American Civil War and were anti-slavery, and reflected this by taking their motto from the US poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's poem, 'A Psalm for Life'.

The last verse of the poem reads:

'Let us, then, be up and doing/ With a heart for any fate/Still achieving, still pursuing/ Learn to labor and to wait.'

Hoddlesdon
Co-operative Progressive Stores and Industrial Society Ltd
1860 - 1910

plate produced to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the
Hoddlesden Society

C.W.S.
Longton

Commemorative mug

Queensferry & District Co-operative Society Ltd
Unity is Strength
Childrens Gala
Opening of New Central Premises Sept 16th 1911

The Co-operative pottery manufacturing business produced
commemorative ware for a number of Co-op branches and
districts

C.W.S.
Longton