John Tams & Son Ltd

Earthenware manufacturer at the Crown Pottery and the Blyth Works, Longton, Stoke-on-Trent, England.

"The Tams businesses were important and large-scale maker of mid-range domestic earthenware. Trade names used by John Tams & Sons Ltd include Tams Ware, Nankin Ware, Elephant Brand (hotel ware) and Top-o-the-World." (Handbook of British Pottery Manufacturers 1900-2010; Michael Perry).

John Tams and William Lowe were two pottery companies who came from a partnership "Tams & Lowe" which split up in 1874. John Tames set up business on his own account at the Crown Pottery.
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 as Tams Group PLC.

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

plate in the Mikado pattern

A printed design comprising three arrangements in Aesthetic style - apple blossom, daisy heads and shaped panels

Crown Pottery
J T

MIKADO is the pattern name
the Rd number 89660 shows that the pattern was registered on the 12 December 1887

this style of mark used 1875-90

jug in the Doris pattern

Crown Pottery
J T &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 style mark was used c.1903-12

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

MIKADO is the pattern name
the Rd number 89660 gives a registration date of 1887

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

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

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

1912+

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

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

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

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