Earthenware manufacturer - originally at the Winton Pottery, on the border of the towns of Hanley and Stoke, Stoke-on-Trent, England.

• Around March 1900 the business of Grimwade Bros was incorporated as Grimwades Ltd. 

• The partners were Leonard Lumsden Grimwade (the founder) and his brothers Sydney and Edward. 

• The business expanded rapidly and they took over a number of potteries: 

  • 1900 -  the Stoke Pottery of James Plant; (James Plant joined the Grimwades board). 

  • c.1906-1911 the Upper Hanley Pottery at the Brownfield Works

  • 1906 - the Rubian Art Pottery;

  • 1907 - the Heron Cross Pottery;

  • 1910 - Atlas China Co. 

• By the time of the First World War the Grimwade business employed 1,000 people and by the early 1920s had become one of the largest manufacturers of earthenware in the North Staffordshire potteries, with 1,500 employees.

• The name "Royal Winton Ware" was in use from as early as 1897 it was around 1929 that 'Royal Winton' was introduced as a recognisable trade name by Grimwades Ltd.  

• The founder, Leonard L. Grimwade was killed in a road accident in January 1931. (see biography of Leonard L. Grimwade). Later the same year James Plant snr. died. 

• In 1933 James Plant, the son of the original owner of the Stoke Pottery, became managing director of Grimwades. Under his leadership the company went from strength to strength.

• James Plant jnr. died in 1962. 

• In 1964 Grimwades Ltd was acquired by the Howard Pottery Group and the business traded as Royal Winton

GRIMWADE, Leonard Lumsden (c. 1863-1931), pottery manufacturer, Stoke upon Trent.

Leonard Grimwade was born in Ipswich about 1863, the son of Richard Grimwade. He began his business life with his uncle as a dry salter in Ipswich. He came to the Potteries as a modeller but quickly moved to manufacturing. 

He was joined by his brother, Sydney, by 1886, and worked the Winton Pottery. The style became Grimwade's Ltd. in March 1900.

Leonard Grimwade went for a time to Australia but returned to the Potteries.

In association with Brittain's, of Cheddleton (the paper manufacturers), he devised a thin printing tissue with a detachable backing, known as 'Duplex' paper, which facilitated the handling of lithographic sheets. The invention helped to make the litho process commercially viable. 

He is also credited with installing the first continuous process kiln, in 1901. In this process, known as the Climax kiln, the ware was packed into iron cages on wheels. 

A serious fire at the Winton factory in 1916 led to Leonard Grimwade proposing that Stoke on Trent should have at least three motor fire engines. 

A Liberal free-trader Leonard Grimwade was elected to Stoke upon Trent council and was also appointed to the local magistrates' bench. He was secretary of the Potteries Association for the Promotion of Federation, founded in 1907, and published 160 favourable replies to a circular letter to leaders of trade and industry in his Book of Opinions. Questioned by counsel for Fenton during the passage of the federation bill through Parliament and asked where he lived Leonard Grimwade replied "I sleep in Wolstanton but I live in the Potteries". He unsuccessfully contested the parliamentary election in Hanley as a Liberal in 1918. He was a member of King Street, Newcastle, Congregational church. 

He modified his free-trade views to some extent during the First World War, by which time his five factories employed 1,000 people. In December 1917 he printed a message from the prime minister asking for economy in consumption of food on reduced sized butter dishes, milk jugs and plates, which sold at one shilling each.

He married twice and had two sons and two daughters. His first wife, Marion, was elcted to the Stoke Board of Guardians in 1897. He was killed in a road accident on 26 January 1931 and was buried in Hartshill cemetery.

Sources: Jewitts, Pottery Gazette 2 March 1931; VCH ii., People of the Potteries.

Grimwades'
New Art Toilet Set
the 'Melon'

Pottery Gazette - January 1906

The name of the pattern is 'Adam' after the famous neo-classical architect and designer Robert Adam

detail of the rams head on the handle

impressed mark ADAM 

Grimwades produced a range of nursery and children's ware 

mark introduced in the 1930s 

Grimwades marked some of their ware with the month/year of
manufacture - in this example the 7/29 is July 1929 

marks used on various items 
of the dinner service 

Stoke Pottery
this is the mark used by J Plant & Co -  the predecessor at Stoke Pottery

the registration number 218780 shows that the pattern was registered to 
J Plant & Co on the 21st September 1893 

Stoke Pottery
Melrose is the pattern name

c.1900+

this mark was used by Grimwades for a short period after they took over the Stoke Pottery of James Plant in 1900 

Grimwades
Staffs
S.P.
Made in England

The S. P. will refer to Stoke Pottery  

c.1900+

photo courtesy: Sam Anderson-Mangai

Carro is probably the pattern name 

G. VI R.
1952
Grimwades 

plain white ware marked with the 
King George VI cipher were
made for the British Forces - this example was on a Cube coffee pot 

Robert Crawford Johnson patented The Cube teapot in 1917 - it was designed as non-drip, non-chip and easily stacked. It was widely used on ships, railways and in hotels and restaurants and was the world's largest selling patented teapot. 

A number of North Staffordshire potters produced this ware. 

Grimwades produced The Cube in many different patterns including Chintz, art deco, Willow, plain white. They also produced coffee pots, milk jugs and sugar bowls to complement the set. 

Atlas 
Bone China 
England

Atlas China
Stoke-on-Trent
Grimwade
England

this style of mark was previously used by Atlas China Co 
who were taken over by Grimwades in 1910 - it was revived with the Grimwades name c. 1930-36

c. 1934-39

c. 1934-50

marks with a letter 'A' indicate ware that was made under the Wartime Concentration Scheme of the Second World War  

Rubina Art Pottery
Grimwades 
England

c. 1934-50

c. 1951+

c. 1951+