John Tams (& Son) (Ltd)






 

Location and period of operation:

John Tams & Son Ltd

Longton

1875

1988

 

Earthenware manufacturer at Crown Potteryand the Blyth Works, Longton, Stoke-on-Trent

  • John Tams and William Lowe were two pottery companies who came from a partnership "Tams & Lowe" which split up in 1874. 

  • In 1903 John Tams took his son Edmund into partnership and traded as John Tams & Son. 

  • The business was incorporated in 1912 - trading as John Tams & Son Ltd.

  • John Tams retired in 1917 and the business continued to be run by Edmund Tams and his two sons Philip & Peter.

  • From the mid 1960's the business was run by John Tams' great-grandsons Gerald and Peter Tams.

  • Gerald Tams led a buyout of the business in 1984 and the company was floated on the Stock Exchange in 1988 and became became John Jams Group PLC. 

 

 

Continued as Tams Group PLC in 2000

 

 

 

 


John Tams
Crown Pottery, Stafford Street, Longton

 The Pottery Gazette, American and Canadian Edition, January 1st 1880

 


John Tams & Son
Longton, Staffs

NOTE: the 'Established 1774' does not apply to John Tams - it is probably a tenuous
link to some distant works that was on the same plot 


The Pottery Gazette - January 1907

 

 


plate in the Mikado pattern

pattern registered in 1888 


platter in the Willow pattern

pattern registered in 1888 

 


jug in the Doris pattern

bearing the plain JT mark - c.1875-1903


Loreto Ware Vase

pattern registered in 1924 

 


Tams Hotel Ware - 1 pint jug
anvil mark 

 

 

 
 
probably 1930-40s 
photo courtesy: David Jordan
probably 1950s 

examples of differently decorated coffee pots using the same shape 

 

 

Initials and marks used on ware for identification:

Many of the marks say 'Est 1774' - the company was actually started in 1875.
The date 1774 probably refers to an unrelated potworks which was earlier on 
the site of the Crown Works of John Tams. 

J T

J Tams

c.1875-1903
the name of the pattern is often included.

J T & S

from 1903 to 1912 the firms title was JOHN TAMS & SON

J T Ltd

from 1912 firm retitled to JOHN TAMS LTD

various marks both impressed and printed incorporate
the words TAMS ENGLAND

 


Crown Pottery
JT

MIKADO is the pattern name
the Rd number 89660 gives a registration date of 1888

mark used 1875-90

early mark of John Tams (before & Sons)
Crown Pottery
J.T.
Longton
Warranted

early mark of John Tams 
(before '& Sons')
c.1875-1903

this mark can be found with "J T" in 
fancy script monogram as example below


Crown Pottery
JT&S (initials at the centre of the mark)

DORIS is the pattern name
the Rd No 524969 gives a registration date of 1908

JT&S Stands for John Jams & Son and this mark was used c.1903-12

 


YE OLDE PRIORY
1774
TAMS WARE
EST 1774
Crown Pottery
John Tams LTD
Stoke-on-Trent
Made in England
PATENT

1912+ 

from 1912 firm became JOHN TAMS LTD


EST 1774
Crown Pottery
John Tams LTD
Made in England

'PEARL' is the pattern name

1912+ 

this style of mark was still in use in the 1960's


EST 1774
John Tams LTD
Crown Pottery
LONGTON
PATENT

1912+ 
LONGTON is the name of the town where the factory was located


NANKIN WARE

c.1913+


TAMS WARE
John Tams Ltd
CROWN POTTERY LONGTON
Stoke-on-Trent
Made in England
Patent
 


TAMS WARE
Patent
John Tams Ltd
Stoke-on-Trent
Made in England 


Tams Ware
BRITISH & BEST

"MIKADO" is the pattern name

1930+ 


ELEPHANT BRAND
VITRIFIED HOTELWARE 

c.1952+


TAMS
Hotel Ware
STRENGTH
Registered 
Trade Mark
Made in England
VITRIFIED 

likely c.1952+

 

the letter'B' probably signifies that the ware was
made under the Wartime Concentration Scheme

- more on the Wartime Concentration Scheme - 

 


Trade Mark
Crown Pottery
TAMS 
England
EST 1774

mark on a 1953 plate produced by Tams to
commemorate the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II


Top-o-the-world 
PRODUCTS 

c.1955+


TAMS REGENT 

c.1958+


CHININE
TAMS
ENGLAND

 c.1960+

'62' is the year of manufacture - 1962

'68' is the year of manufacture - 1968

many everyday ware was impressed or printed with the 
words "TAMS ENGLAND"

 

click below for information on the Tams factories....


Crown Works
Blythe Works

 

Questions, comments, contributions? email: Steve Birks