Podmore, Walker & Co   Podmore, Walker, Wedgwood & Co

Location and period of operation:

Earthenware manufacturers at a number of pottery factories in Tunstall, Stoke-on-Trent

• The partners were Thomas Podmore and Thomas Walker. Podmore had an established business at the Upper Pot Works which he started c.1830. Walker joined him in 1834. 

• In 1845 Walker also started manufacturing as 'Thomas Walker' at the Lion Works, Tunstall. 

• In the 1846 William directory Thomas Podmore was listed as living in Paradise Street and Thomas Walker in Wesley Place - both in Tunstall (Henrywood). 

• c.1835 Enoch Wedgwood (a distant cousin of Josiah Wedgwood) became a partner in Podmore, Walker & Co. He was the '& Co' - it was later found advantageous to use the name 'Wedgwood' alone (because it gve the impression of association with the famous Josiah Wedgwood, even though Enoch Wedgwood had no association with the Josiah Wedgwood & Co business. 

• In 1856 the business was renamed Podmore, Walker, Wedgwood & Co. 

• The company specialised in transferware for export to the American market

• The works occupied were

  • Upper Pot Works, Tunstall - c.1834

  • Well Street, Tunstall - c.1835-53

  • Old Bank, Tunstall - c.1841 [noted in the 1841 Pigot Directory. This is likely to be the Well Street Works] 

  • Amicable Street, Tunstall - Pinnox Works - c.1850-59

  • Swan Bank works, High Street, Tunstall - c.1835-59

• Following the death of Thomas Podmore in 1860, Enoch Wedgwood inherited shares in the interests of the business left to him by Podmore, the partnership was dissolved and became Wedgwood & Co.

Previously: Thomas Podmore & Co

Subsequently: Wedgwood & Co 

History, Gazetteer, and Directory of Staffordshire
William White
1834

Selected by the Committee for the Staffordshire Potteries 
to exhibit at the Paris Universal Exhibition of 1855

Flow Blue Tureen - marked Stone Ware, P W & Co

plate in the Wild Rose Pattern

platter in the Washington Vase Pattern

platter in the Asiatic Pheasants Pattern

Podmore, Walker & Co are generally acknowledged as being the first producers of the "Asiatic Pheasants" pattern

plate in the California Pattern

the pattern was registered in 1849 by Podmore, Wlaker & Co
and has a mark with the name "WEDGWOOD"

- see mark section below - 

Marks & initials used on ware for identification:

P. W. & Co
(for Podmore, Walker & Co, c.1834-56)

P. W. & W.
(for Podmore, Walker & Wedgwood, c.1856-9)

WEDGWOOD
(some ware was marked just with the name 'WEDGWOOD")

Stone Ware
P W & Co

 
Manilla
P W & Co
Ironestone

 
Pearl Stone 
Ware
P W & Co

MANILLA is the pattern name
- both of these marks appear on the same item -

Asiatic Pheasants
P W & Co

Asiatic Pheasants is the pattern name

Wild Rose
P W & Co

P W & Co SPARTAN is the pattern name

Pearl Stone Ware P W & Co EAGLE is the pattern name

Pearl Stone Ware P W & Co THE TEMPLE is the pattern name

Pearl Stone Ware Washington Vase P W & Co

Pearl Stone Ware Washington Vase Wedgwood

WASHINTON VASE is the pattern name
both these items were made by Podmore, Walker & Co   

Pearl Stone Ware
Wedgwood
California is the pattern name

The registration diamond gives a date of 2nd April 1849 
the pattern was registered by Podmore, Walker & Co.
the '& Co' was Enoch Wedgwood but it was found advantageous to use
the name 'Wedgwood' alone.    

questions/comments/contributions? email: Steve Birks