Earthenware and Ironstone manufacturer at the Dale Hall Pottery, Dale Hall, Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent, England

• James Edwards operated (with Thomas Edwards) at the Kilncroft Works & Sylvester Street Works, Burslem) for a couple of years from 1839-41

• In 1842 James Edwards purchased the Dale Hall Pottery - which he considerably enlarged and extended ; a flint-mill erected ; new machinery of the most approved construction (including steam jiggers, lathes, jollies, throwing- wheels, and pressing machines for preparing clay by filtration) - the whole place so increased as to be enabled to produce fully six times the amount of ware it was capable of doing when he first entered upon it. 

• He specialised in producing white ironstone ware which was mainly for export to America

• In 1851 he took his son Richard into partnership as James Edwards & Son

Dale Hall Pottery

The extensive works of Messrs. James Edwards and Son are the oldest existing works in Dale Hall. They belonged to Messrs. John and George Rogers (brothers) till 1815, when the latter died, and Mr. Spencer Rogers having joined his father, the business was carried on under the style of John Rogers and Son. In 1816 Mr. John Rogers died, leaving £1,000 to the North Staffordshire Infirmary, and other charitable bequests. He had erected a handsome residence, "The Watlands" near Wolstanton. 

The firm continued as John Rogers and Son until 1842, when the manufactory was purchased by the late Mr. James Edwards, formerly of the firm of James and Thomas Edwards of the Kiln-Croft Works. Messrs. Rogers produced tableware of a higher and better quality than most of their contemporaries, and were especially famed for their light blue "Broseley" or "Willow" pattern services. 

The mark used by them appears to have been simply the name ROGERS impressed in or printed on the ware; sometimes with the addition of the sign of Mars or Iron.

Mr. James Edwards was entirely a self-made man, and was one of those bright examples of indomitable perseverance, unflinching rectitude, steadiness of purpose, and genuine benevolence, which crop up every now and then among our most successful manufacturers. 

Commencing simply as a thrower at Messrs. Rogers, he became a manager at Philips's of Longport, and at John Alcock's of Cobridge, then commenced business in partnership with John Maddock, and afterwards, in partnership with his brother Thomas Edwards, carried on business in Sylvester Square, Burslem, and next in partnership with Mr. John Maddock, in the same town. 

In 1842 he purchased the manufactory of Messrs. Rogers and Son, where he commenced entirely on his own account. By him the manufactory was considerably enlarged and extended; a flint-mill erected ; new machinery of the most approved construction (including steam jiggers, lathes, jollies, throwing- wheels, and Needham and 
Kite's patent pressing machines for preparing clay by filtration) put up, patent stoves and pug-mills erected, and the whole place so increased as to be enabled to produce fully six times the amount of ware it was capable of doing when he first entered upon it. 

By these improvements much of the heavy drudgery of labour both to children and adults was saved. In these works, too, the whole of the rooms containing the machinery are heated by steam, and kept at one uniform temperature. 

To Mr. Edwards the white graniteware, which has now become so important a feature in the Pottery district, mainly owes its excellence; that made by him being considered to be all that could be desired by our transatlantic brethren, and to be the standard of perfection to which the aims of other houses were directed. 

In 1851 a medal was awarded to Mr. Edwards, and an additional certificate of merit, for beauty of form and excellence of goods exhibited. At the New York Exhibition they also received honourable mention, and in 1865 a prize medal was awarded for electrical, chemical, galvanic, and photographic apparatus in both ironstone and earthenware. 

Mr. Edwards, who had taken his son Mr. Richard Edwards into partnership, retired from the concern in 1861, and died, full of honours, as a magistrate and otherwise, in January, 1867, one of his last acts of thoughtful benevolence being that of (only a few days before his death) sending to a number of his old workpeople at the manufactory cheques varying in amount from £20 to £100 each, according to each one's length of service. The works are now carried on by Mr. Richard Edwards under the style of "James Edwards and Son." 

The productions consist of white graniteware for the American and steamship trade; ordinary earthenware for the home trade, in which all the usual services, &c., are made; Indian ironstone goods; and electrical, chemical, galvanic, and photographic appliances. These are all of the highest quality, and are much in repute. In "stone china," which is of good firm semi-transparent quality, many excellent patterns are made. Among these are the "bishop," "barley," "mediaeval," "rope," "tulip," ''scroll," and others. 

The Ceramic Art of Great Britain. Llewellynn Jewitt, 1878

Edward T. Mott and Samuel Schober were partners in  Philadelphia for 13 years. They imported china, glass and Queensware (white ironstone) After the partnership was dissolved in 1851 Mott continued to operate the store, which moved up 3rd street every 3 or so years, first at 47, then at 72, and finally at 120 No. 3rd. Mott died in 1858.

Robert K. Wright and Thornton Pike were the principles in the partnership, which had a store at 29 North 3rd Street, Philadelphia between 1847 and 1850, and at 205 High Street between 1851 and 1856 

Saxon Blue was originally produced by Dillwyn & Co (Swansea Pottery)

transferware with a pattern in the 'Oriental' style

Porcelaine à la Perle was not porcelain but a name used by James Edwards for an ironstone type earthenware.

In the mid to second half of the ninteenth century British manufacturers found their markets being eroded by inexpensive French porcelain - adopting French sounding names with a faintly grey look of continental porcealin was one way of meeting the competition.   

impressed name and place with the registration diamond and number 10370

impressed name with the registration diamond and number 10370

Registered By James Edwards 
No. 10370 Oct. 6 1843

impressed marks on platters sometimes accompanied by this printed mark 

impressed circular mark 
with the registration diamond