Anthony Shaw (& Son) (& Co)

Location and period of operation:

 

Earthenware manufacturer at Tunstall (1851-6) and then Burslem (1857-1900), Stoke-on-Trent, England.  Shaw started manufacturing earthenware in 1851 at Cross Street (now Oldcourt Street), Tunstall. He was only there for one year. In 1852 he moved to works at Newfield, Tunstall.  By 1855 Shaw was exporting ware to the United States (granite-ware & cream ware) and to South America (luster and painted ware) - in 1855 Shaw was awarded a medal at the Paris Exhibition. 1856 - Shaw registered what was to become his famous "Tea Leaf" design, Anthony Shaw is considered to have produced the original Tea Leaf motif on his Sydenham, Niagara Fan and Chinese Shape body styles. Around 1857 Shaw rented the Newport Works - a manufactory with 6 ovens in Newport Lane, Burslem - together with the adjacent Newport House. Around 1860 Anthony Shaw built a new works alongside the Newport Works. He called this the Mersey Pottery - after Liverpool's River Mersey. Liverpool was the port where pottery was taken for export to the Americas. Both the Newport and Mersey Potteries were built on the bank of the Trent and Mersey Canal.  In the 1861 census he is recorded as living in "Newport Hall" Burslem with his wife Jane, their four children and four servants.  His occupation is listed as "Earthenware Manufacturer employing 290 hands". "The works were rebuilt on a very extensive scale in 1866, and are looked upon as a model manufactory, in which are brought to bear all the latest improvements in the art of pottery." Jewitt, 1878, p.270 In 1882 one of the sons, James, joined the business and marks generally included "& Son" The takeover:  The adjacent Newport Pottery works were operated by Arthur J. Wilkinson (and subsequently managed by the prominent Staffordshire Shorter family). Around 1898, the Wilkinson business took over control and financial backing of the Mersey Pottery works. They reorganised the business into a company structure (Anthony Shaw "& Co"), keeping the famous "Anthony Shaw" brand name active on the backstamps because it held significant value, particularly in the North American export markets. Anthony Shaw died in 1900 and he business was taken over by A. J. Wilkinson Ltd who already operated at the adjacent Newport Pottery. see a  short biography on Anthony Shaw

 

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William White 
1851
Directory of Staffordshire

1851 entry showing Anthony Shaw as earthenware 
manufacturer at Cross Street, Tunstall 

 

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This shard from a piece of Anthony Shaw pottery was dug up in Delamar in August 2023  Delamar is a ghost town in central eastern Nevada, US.  Between 1895 and 1900 $13.5 million of gold was mined there

impressed mark on the shard:- A Shaw, Warranted with printed Royal Arms   Shaw used this style of mark between 1857 and 1882

photos courtesy: Paula Stansberry

 

 

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sauce boat in the Tea Leaf pattern 

Beginning in the 1840's, English potters began to ship white ironstone ceramic ware to the U.S., decorated with copper lustre bands and/or simple motifs, made exclusively for the American market.  Anthony Shaw is considered to have produced the original tea leaf motif, registered in 1856. The tea leaf motif was made by dozens of English and American potters until the beginning of the 20th century. more information on this pattern at www.tealeafclub.com

 

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Ware for the Americas

A. Shaw White Ironstone tureen  - more on Ironstone -   "the specialities being white graniteware and cream-coloured wares for the United States"

Imperial Ironstone China Anthony Shaw Tunstall marks with the town name TUNSTALL are dated 1851 to 1857   Stone China Anthony Shaw Burslem marks with the town name BURSLEM (occasionally with ENGLAND)  and without "& SON" are dated 1857 to 1882

Peruvian Horse Hunt - centre panel border of equestrian vignetts "the specialities being white graniteware and cream-coloured wares for the United States ; the same with the addition of printed, lustred, and painted goods for South America"

SHAW's Peruvian Horse Hunt Tunstall  the registration diamond shows that this design was registered on the 8th August 1853 to Anthony Shaw at the Newfield Pottery, Tunstall, Staffordshire marks for this design with the town name TUNSTALL are 1853 to 1857   mark: Henrywood 'Staffordshire Potters"   SHAW's Peruvian Horse Hunt marks without the town name will be post 1857

Plate in the Corea pattern 

typical Aesthetic Movement brown transferware

  
Oval platter in the Hong Pattern 

Marks used on ware for identification:

ANTHONY SHAW
TUNSTALL

marks with the town name TUNSTALL
are dated 1851 to 1857  

ANTHONY SHAW

A. SHAW

marks with no town name are probably dated 1851 to 1860
but certainly prior to 1882 (when '& SON' was added)  

A. SHAW
BURSLEM

SHAWS

SHAW
BURSLEM

marks with the town name BURSLEM (occasionally with ENGLAND) 
and without "& SON" are dated 1857 to 1882

& SON

marks with "& Son" - from c.1882 to c.1898

& CO

marks with "& Co" - from c.1898 to c.1900

Imperial
Ironstone China
Anthony Shaw
Tunstall

marks with the town name TUNSTALL
are dated 1851 to 1857  

A Shaw POMONA is the pattern name	Warranted Staffordshire A Shaw mark used on ware with the Willow pattern
Anthony Shaw HONG is the pattern name	A Shaw COREA is the pattern name

marks with no town name are probably dated 1851 to 1860
but certainly prior to 1882 (when '& SON' was added)  

Porcelain Anthony Shaw  Opaque

Anthony Shaw  Opaque Porcelain

impressed marks with no town name and no accompanying 
printed mark are probably dated 1851 to 1860

Ironstone China
Warranted
Anthony Shaw

mark incorporating the Stafford knot 
probably dated 1857 to 1882

This fragment was found in 2022 on the site of the Shamrock, Rose & Thistle Hotel
at the Springs, Cairns, Queensland, Australia 

Stone China Warranted Anthony Shaw Burslem (printed)  A Shaw Warranted (impressed)

Stone China Warranted  Anthony Shaw Burslem Stone China Anthony Shaw Burslem

Stone China Warranted Anthony Shaw Burslem Stone China Warranted Anthony Shaw England

marks with the town name BURSLEM (occasionally with ENGLAND) 
and without "& SON" are dated 1857 to 1882

many marks from this period made use
of the Royal Arms

Warranted Anthony Shaw & Son England

Opaque Stone China TRADE MARK Anthony Shaw & Son England

fragment found (2024) on the beach in Boston Massachusetts, US courtesy:   Cameron Chateauneuf

marks with "& SON" are dated 1882 to 1898 

Anthony Shaw & Co England Warranted

Anthony Shaw & Co Burslem England

marks with "& CO" are dated 1898 to 1900 

AUSTRAL
Ironstone China
A. Shaw & Son
BURSLEM
ENGLAND

shard (probably from a plate) excavated (2022) at the Station Masters 
residence at the town of Uralla, New South Wales, Australia

'AUSTRAL' is likely to be the pattern name
the mark includes the Australian Coat of Arms and the motto - 'Advance Australia'

produced in Burslem, England c.1889-1898, for export to Australia 
the registration number 133504 shows that the design was first registered in 1889

photo courtesy: Sylvana ter Meulen

Oceanic Steam Navigation Company Liverpool  The White Star Line was a British shipping line. Following the bankruptcy of the original company the house flag, trade name and goodwill of the bankrupt company was purchased and The Oceanic Steam Navigation Company was formed in 1868. The shipping company was known publicly throughout its existence as the White Star Line.

Genuine Ironstone China A. Shaw BURSLEM c.1868-1882  In 1882 one of the sons joined the business and marks generally included "& Son"

photos courtesy: David Byrne 

- click for more on the Mersey Pottery -

Questions, comments, contributions? email: Steve Birks