Ridgway & Abington






 

Location and period of operation:

E Ridgway & Abington

Hanley

1835

July 1860

 

Manufacturer of earthenware and relief moulded stoneware jugs at the Church Works, Hanley, Stoke-upon-Trent, England.

  • The partners were Edward John (James) Ridgway and Leonard James Abington. 

  • Edward J Ridgway was also in partnership with his father William Ridgway - also at the Church Works.

  • Leonard J Abington was also a partner in William Ridgway, Son & Co.

  • The partnership between E J Ridgway and Abington was dissolved in July 1860 - Abington retired, having been left £10,000 on the death of Joseph Mayer (Abington had been the works chemist when Joseph Mayer operated at the Church Works)

 

Concurrently: William Ridgway & Son [1841-47] 

Subsequently: E. J. Ridgway [1860-73] 

 

Also see: The Ridgway family of potters

 

 

 

London Gazette
April 6, 1847

 
notice of the dissolution of the previous 
partnership of William Ridgway, Son & Co

- the business to be continued by E J Ridgway and L J Abington

London Gazette
July 13, 1860


notice of the dissolution of the partnership 
of Ridgway & Abington

- the business to be continued by E J Ridgway

 


 

Typical examples of ware:

Edward J Ridgway and Leonard J Abington manufactured earthenware and in particular relief moulded stoneware jugs at the Church Works.

Abington was a skilled carver and modeller and worked for the architect Sir John Soane on the the decoration of the Bank of England and the architect Benjamin Wyatt in the decoration of the Drury Lane Theatre in London. 

Leonard Abington came to Hanley in 1819 and worked as a modeller at the Church Works for Jacob Phillips and then Joseph Mayer until 1831. He was then a partner in William Ridgway & Son and with Edward Ridgway in Ridgway & Abington.

Source: Mankowitz & Haggar, Encyclopedia of English Porcelain

Registered designs: 
In 1846 William Ridgway, Edward John Ridgway and Leonard James Abington together registered two relief moulded designs.

Between 1848 and 1858 Edward John Ridgway and Leonard James Abington together registered at least a further ten designs for jugs, vases and wine coolers.   

- see information on design diamonds -

 

 


moulded jug in the form of a log


The registration diamond gives 
a date of 3rd December 1846

- design 37935 - 
moulded teapot in the form of a log

 

The teapot has branches for the handle and spout with  the handle on the lid formed from a twig with teminals of an oak leaf and an acorn. 
More leaves and acorns can be found around the sides of the teapot

The registration diamond gives 
a date of 3rd November 1846

- design 38606 -

these two designs were registered on the 3rd November and 3rd December 1846 they were registered by William Ridgway, Edward John Ridgway and Leonard James Abington together

 

 


moulded earthenware anti-slavery jug with pewter lid 
 the jug is decorated with man with whip chasing a woman with child and slaves being auctioned 

- the rostrum poster reads - "By Auction this day a Prime lot of healthy negroes"  
the handle is moulded with praying negro with pewter hinged lid


Published by
E. RIDGWAY & ABINGTON
HANLEY
January 1, 1853 

 

 


relief moulded jug in a bulrush design, with pewter lid

the registration diamond shows that the design was registered  on 
7th March 1848 by "Edward John Ridgway and Leonard James Abington trading under the firm of Ridgway and Abington"


- design 50636 -

photos courtesy:  Lisa Best

 

 

 


Sylvan Cane pattern

the registration diamond shows that the design was registered  on 
16th February 1849
- design 58474 -

 

 

 


Harvest pattern

Design registered  on 7th March 1848
- design 50636 -
Swan pattern with pewter metal lid


 

 


Candlestick - pale blue with gilt 
RIDGWAY and
ABINGTON
PATENT 

generally Ridgway & Abington didn't mark their earthenware - this example is likely marked because of the 'Patent'. It is not known what the patent was.

  photos courtesy: Charlie's China

 

 


transfer printed and hand painted dessert plate
by Ridgway & Abington - pattern number 6391
Semi China

the impressed '2' is probably a size mark 

photos courtesy: Harlington Manor Antiques

 

 

Marks used on ware for identification:

Although most of the output of William Ridgway, Son, & Co. had a manufacturers mark, the earthenware produced by the partnership of E Ridgway and Abington generally did not carry the makers name - a registration diamond was often included.  

There is an example of a candlestick with a 'Ridgway & Abington PATENT' impressed mark.

Ridgway & Abington earthenware often has an impressed mark 'Semi China' and usually a hand painted pattern number. There is a comprehensive list of patterns produced at the Church Works on the Ridgway Pattern Book web site. 

Relief moulded stoneware was variously unmarked, carry a moulded registration diamond or a moulded cartouche with the wording 'Published by E. Ridgway & Abington, Hanley' and the registration date.  

 


SEMI CHINA

impressed mark on earthenware plate with thehand painted pattern number 6477
RIDGWAY and
ABINGTON
PATENT 

generally Ridgway & Abington didn't mark their earthenware - this example is likely marked because of the 'Patent'. It is not known what the patent was.

Marks on earthenware

 

 


Published by
E. RIDGWAY & ABINGTON
HANLEY
August 1, 1858 

moulded mark

Moulded registration diamond for the 
7th March 1848

this was for the Harvest pattern - design number 50636

Marks on relief moulded stoneware

 

 

 


The Church Works, Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent 

- click for more on the Church Works -

 

Questions, comments, contributions? email: Steve Birks