Dunn, Bennett & Co






 

Location and period of operation:

Dunn, Bennett & Co

Burslem

1876 (78?)

1983

 

Manufacturer of earthenware and ironstone at a number of sites, originally in Hanley and then (from 1886) in Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent. 

  • Established in 1876 by William Dunn and his son-in-law William Wood-Bennett.

  • Dunn Bennett manufactured earthenware and Ironstone for both the home and American markets.

  • c.1908 Incorporated as a limited company.

  • 1914 directory listing for Dunn Bennett - "Manufacturers of hotel china. Specialities: patent unchippable surface plates and dishes chiefly adapted for use in hotels, cafés, hydros, clubs and on board ship; tea and coffee pots, vegetable dishes, meat dishes and factors of glass tumblers, decanters, wine glasses etc. Employees 500." 

  • Became part of the Royal Doulton Group in 1968 joining Doulton Fine China Ltd (both producing hotel and catering ware).

  • In 1992 Royal Doulton Tableware sold its vitrified hotel ware businesses (Dunn-Bennett and Steelite) to a management buy out.

  • The last occupied works (Dalehall Works) of Dunn Bennett became the site of the new Steellite hotel ware manufacturing and warehousing site. 

 

 

 

Works occupied by Dunn Bennett:- 

 

Boothen Works, Brook Street, Hanley:  1878-87

The Hill Works, Burslem:  1886 -

Royal Victoria Works, Liverpool Road, Burslem:  1887 - 

The Dalehall Works, Burslem:  c.1937-1998

 

 

 

Dunn, Bennett & Co.
 Boothen Works, Brook Street, Hanley

 The Pottery Gazette, American and Canadian Edition, January 1st 1880

 

 

Initials used on ware for identification:

D. B. & CO.

 

D. B. & CO. LTD
[LTD from 1907 onward]

click the following for more information >>>>


The Hill Works - occupied by Dunn Bennett from 1886
The Dalehall Works - occupied by Dunn Bennett from 1937

Dunn Bennett ware

 Dunn Bennett marks & dates

 

The Dalehall Works of Dunn Bennett & Co
The Dalehall Works of Dunn Bennett & Co

early marks incorporated a Bee Hive
(oftern used to indicate industry)



Dunn, Bennett & Co - wash bowl & jung in the ARGOSY pattern  

photo: Alan Williams

 

 


Ironstone catering ware supplied for the Irrawaddy Flotilla Company, Burma

Wikipedia article

c.1876-1907

photo courtesy: Bob Hudson (jug found in junk shop in Mandalay)

 


canteen plate produced for the 
Union Steam Ship Company of New Zealand Limited

 


the 7:46 is the month/year of manufacturer
i.e. July 1946

photos courtesy: Anne Ratcliffe

 

 

Canteen ware produced for the British Government 


canteen ware - tureen  
with the Royal Cypher  GR VI 
 George VI the King of the United Kingdom
Dunn Bennett & Co Ltd
Burslem
England
1938
W

photos courtesy: Nick Coviello

 

also see example made by Ashworth & Bros

The tureen shown was produced for and supplied to the British Government; it was ultimately property of the Crown/Government, hence the GR-VI cypher.

Dunn Bennett (and others) were given government contracts throughout the late 1930s and into the 1940s (WWII) and produced canteen ware - most likely for the armed services.

The ‘W’ within the diamond most likely relates to the products being commissioned and produced for the Office of Works (until 1939) and the Minister of Works (post 1940). This mark is there to distinguish the piece from being normal ‘utilitarian’ ware for public sale or belonging to anyone organisation. 

information courtesy: The Potteries museum & Art Gallery

    

 

Questions, comments, contributions? email:  Steve Birks