• Ridgway Potteries came out of a period of reorganisation of Lawley Group pottery companies.  

• In 1954 Ridgway & Adderley Ltd merged with Booths & Colclough's Ltd and from 1st January 1955 was known as  Ridgway, Adderley, Booths & Colcloughs Ltd. 

• From 28th February 1955 the shorter name Ridgway Potteries Ltd was adopted. 

• As part of the restructure, in addition to 'acquiring' Booths & Colclough Ltd, Ridgway Potteries Ltd became the holding company for the associate businesses of Adderleys Ltd. The eight companies in the business were: 

  • Ridgway (Bedford Works) Ltd - Shelton

  • Adderleys Ltd at the Gainsborough Works - Longton

  • Booths at the Church Bank Pottery - Tunstall

  • Colcloughs at Regent Works - Longton

  • North Staffordshire Pottery - Shelton

  • Portland Pottery at the Regal Works - Cobridge

  • Globe pottery Ltd - Shelton

  • Adderley Floral China - Longton

   

• In 1964 the Lawley Group acquired Royal Crown Derby Porcelain Co. Ltd and Thomas C. Wild & Sons Ltd, the expanded Lawley Group adopted the name Allied English Potteries until the merger with Royal Doulton in 1972.

• Ridgway continued to produce with marks under its own name until at least 1978. The 'Ridgway Earthenware' trade name was used by Doulton until at least 1982.   

information on Lawley Group courtesy of Michael Perry: 'A Handbook of British Pottery Manufacturers 1900-2010' 

This is one of the largest companies manufacturing bone china and earthenware in the world. The ware produced at the eight factories owned by the company is representative of all the products of the potteries of Staffordshire, ranging from the beautiful hand-painted patterns of Adderley fine bone china and the famous Booths prints, some of them taken from the original Davenport engravings, to the various ranges of earthenware tea and dinnerware of the Ridgway and Royal Swan factories and the vast production of reasonably priced bone china teaware for which the name Colclough is so widely known.

Although steeped in the traditions of the industry - for example, Booths became established as a high-grade earthenware manufacturing business in the early nineteenth century, and many of its patterns in current production have been produced continuously since that date - Ridgway, Adderley Booths & Colcloughs Limited are not content to live in the past. With all the improvements of modern manufacturing plant at their disposal and the results of continuous research into the demans of the future, this company takes its place amongst the leading producers of china and earthenware at the present time.

(Ridgway Potteries Ltd., Ash Hall, Stoke-on-Trent.)    

One of the largest pottery combines in existence, eight factories comprise the group, the oldest of which is Booths, which was already established in the eighteenth century as producers of high-grade earthenware. There is, in the Victoria and Albert Museum, a large dish dated 1757 with the name of Enoch Booth of Tunstable. Many of the patterns produced at the present time have been in continuous use since the early Victorian days. They have long been famed for their fine tableware, particularly their Salopian blue as used on their litho-printed vases. For example, one of their most popular designs is 'British Scenery', one of Booths collection of Davenport engravings. The original copper plates, engraved by Davenport, in the early nineteenth century, are still used in the production of this pattern.

Another very popular design is their version of the old Willow Pattern. Here their Salopian blue is distinctive and is emphasised by the gold line edge and by their special 'Majestic Shape'. Several other shapes are also produced, one of which, the Ribstone, includes a popular favourite called 'Blue Mist' – a delicate pastel blue body which lends itself admirably to contemporary decoration. Both Her late Majesty Queen Mary and H.R.H. the Duchess of Kent have been supplied with Booths earthenware.

Colclough, at Regent Works, produce bone china tea ware. The firm was established in 1895 by Herbert J. Colclough, a former Lord Mayor of Stoke and a man of great repute 'among all sections of the community. It is said that, at the beginning of his career as a potter he used to fire two ovens himself. Many times, after working all day, he would sit beside his ovens all night, so anxious was he to achieve success.

He seemed to thrive on hard work and consequently made a success of his business. In 1907 he took over the Osborne Works at Longton and in 1918 he added the Regent Works, which had been in production since 1850. A red letter day for the founder was when, in 1913, the late King George V and Queen Mary visited his Vale factory in the course of the tour of the Potteries, hence the Royal Vale backstamp which is still in use on certain Colclough ranges. The Regent Works has undergone extensive reconstruction and, at the present day, the company can boast of being the largest individual bone china producing unit in the industry.

Ridgways, at Bedford Works, Shelton, was founded by Edward J. Ridgway, son of the famous Master Potter William Ridgway of Hanley. Well-known in the ceramic industry in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, Job and George Ridgway, of Shelton, are mentioned on Allbuts' map of 1802, and in 1820 they were making extensively for the American market, being among the leading potters supplying the New World with decorated wares-showing American buildings, scenery, arms of the United States, portraits of Washington and other Americana. John Ridgway was honoured by being appointed Potter to Her Majesty Queen Victoria and earned high commendation at the 1851 Exhibition. The catalogue informs the Victorian public that 'The Establishment of Mr. Ridgway is one of the largest and among the best conducted of the many factories of Staffordshire'. Ridgway materially assisted in establishing a School of Design and founded a scholarship in this connection. The present firm specialises in vitrified wares, tiles and a full range of earthenware tea and dinner sets.

Adderly fine bone china tea and dinner ware has been made for several years at the Paladin and Gainsborough works, but is now made only at the Paladin factory. The Gainsborough works was formerly the Daisy Bank factory of the eighteenth century, taken over by Adderleys about 1860.

Also included in the Group are the Portland factory (for a full range of tea and dinner ware), the North Staffordshire Pottery, concentrating on vitrified hotel ware, including the well-known 'Vitrock quality' and the Adderley Floral and Figurine China factory in Longton. Ash Hall has been their headquarters since 1952 – a large country house, providing an unusual and attractive setting for the display of products made at the different factories.

British Potters and Pottery Today - 1956

 produced under the  Group name
Allied English Potteries

produced after the merger with 
Royal Doulton in 1972

Allied English Potteries

Allied English Potteries

Royal Doulton

with the manufacturing date
12-55 (December 1955) 

with the manufacturing date
8-57 (August 1957) 

Ridgway 
Portland Pottery
Cobridge

c.1953-56

Ridgway Potteries Ltd
VITROCK
Strong as a rock

with the manufacturing date
6-53 (June 1953) 

Ridgway of Staffordshire
"Queenston" is the pattern name
"HERITAGE" is the series name

- this style of mark was also 
used pre 1955 -

Ridgway Potteries Ltd
Made in Staffordshire
"HOMEMAKER" is the style name

with the manufacturing date
2-62 (February 1962) 

SR
Ridgway 
IRONSTONE
Staffordshire 
England
"Canterbury" is the pattern name

with the manufacturing date
2-73 (February 1973) 

SR
made in
Staffordshire
England
IRONSTONE 

The Potteries Museum comments on this mark:-