The Bevington family of potters






 

The Bevington family were prolific potters in Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire. Starting with the father Samuel (b.1808 d.1863), between them they owned or worked 12 pottery factories.

NOTE: dates are approximate and may overlap, sources include trade directories and so entries may be missing for some years. Also some of the works may have been shared with other potters - it was not uncommon for works to be sub-let.

 


 

Details of the Bevington family:

Samuel (father)

b.1808  d.1863

The father of seven sons, four of which set up as potter manufacturers in their own right. The other three were decorators and guilders. Samuel was a strong supporter of the chartist movement. see short biography of Samuel

Richard 

b.1827

The eldest son, Richard did not become a factory owner or manager. In the census details he is variously described as a china painter or guilder.

Ambrose

b.1834

Ambrose did not not go into partnership with his father but set up on his own accord. The trade directories show evidence of him occupying the Dresden Works in 1869-70, however the 1861 census describes him as an earthenware manufacturer.

John

b.1835 d.1892

John went into partnership with his father in 1856 at the Elm Street Works. He appears to have set up in his own right in 1860 at the Clarence Street Works (which Ambrose later worked). After his fathers death in 1863 John continued to operate the Elm Street Works until 1870.

Henry

b.1839 

Henry, like Richard, was not a pottery works owner, he was described as a potter, china decorator and china guilder.

Samuel 

b.1841

Recorded in 1861 as a China guilder

James

b.1843

James and Thomas set up partnership together in the Marsh Street Works, which they continued after their fathers retirement and death. In 1867 they left the Marsh Street works and moved to Burton Place. For a couple of years they also worked a pottery in Cannon Street. see more on James & Thomas partnership.
After the split of the partnership James operated from works in the High Street (Cobden Works) and King Street.

Thomas

b.1845 

Thomas was originally in partnership with James. In 1876 the partnership finished and Thomas continued at Burton Place. He briefly operated from works in Mayer Street. 


 


 

Details of the Pottery Works operated:

WORKS OPERATED
(click the arrow for more details on the works)
Samuel
(father)
Ambrose John James Thomas
Swan Works, Elm Street
1835-63   1863-69 #    
Marsh Street
1846-63     1863-67 1863-67
10-12 Brunswick Street
1851-63   1865 $    
Burton Place
      1867-76 1867-76
1877-91 (on own)
Cannon Street
      1873-75 1873-75
Cobden Works, High Street
      1881-85  
King Street
      1884  
Dresden Works, Birch Street
  1869-70      
Clarence Street
  1874-79 1860-69    
Mayer Street
        1892
New Hall Works, Great York Street
  1870-92 1863-69    
Kensington Works, St. James Street
    1872-92 ±    

 

# John Bevington at the Elm Street Works - from 1866 passed into the hands of W. L. Evans & Co (the '& Co' probably includes John Bevington). In 1867-69 Bevington is still recorded as having an interest in the Elm Street Works as "Bailey & Bevington"

$ John Bevington & Co recorded at the Brunswick Street Works in 1865. William L Evans was recorded at the Brunswick Street Works in 1869 & 70.

± From 1892 to 1899 George Bevington and Arthur John Bevington operated the Kensington Works as 'Kensington Fine Art Pottery' - presumably these were the sons of John Bevington (the grandsons of Samuel Bevington)

 

 


The census details for Richard & Henry are listed here 
(the other brothers census details are given on their pottery works page)

1861 census
36 Windmill Street, Wellington Parish, Hanley
Stoke upon Trent, Staffordshire, England

Name

age

Birthplace

Relationship

Occupation

Richard Bevington

34

Hanley, Staffordshire

Head

China painter

Sarah Ann Bevington

30

Hanley, Staffordshire

Wife

China burnisher

Eliza Bevington

13m

Hanley, Staffordshire

Daughter

 

1861 census
Brunswick Street, Shelton, Hanley
Stoke upon Trent, Staffordshire, England

Name

age

Birthplace

Relationship

Occupation

Henry Bevington

22

Stoke, Staffordshire

Lodger

Potter

 


1871 census
5 Windmill Terrace, Hanley
Stoke on Trent, Staffordshire, England

Name

age

Birthplace

Relationship

Occupation

Richard Bevington

44

Hanley, Staffordshire

Head

China Guilder

Sarah A Bevington

40

Hanley, Staffordshire

Wife

China burnisher

Eliza Bevington

11

Hanley, Staffordshire

Daughter

Scholar

George Bevington

8

Hanley, Staffordshire

Son

Scholar

Catherine Bevington

3

Hanley, Staffordshire

Daughter

 

Richard J Bevington

1

Hanley, Staffordshire

Son

 

1871 census
49 Market Street, Hanley
Stoke on Trent, Staffordshire, England

Name

age

Birthplace

Relationship

Occupation

Henry Bevington

32

Hanley, Staffordshire

Head

China decorator

Charlotte Bevington

26

Hanley, Staffordshire

Wife

 

Rose Bevington

3

Hanley, Staffordshire

Daughter

 

Florence Bevington

2

Hanley, Staffordshire

Daughter

 

Odo Bevington

4m

Hanley, Staffordshire

Son

 

Ann Goldstraw

19

Hanley, Staffordshire

Sister-in-Law

China guilder

 


1881 census
5 Hall Fields, Hanley
Stoke upon Trent, Staffordshire, England

Name

age

Birthplace

Relationship

Occupation

Richard Bevington

55

Hanley, Staffordshire

Head

Ch Guilder

Sarah Ann Bevington

50

Hanley, Staffordshire

Wife

 

George Bevington

18

Hanley, Staffordshire

Son

Ch Guilder

Catherine Bevington

14

Hanley, Staffordshire

Daughter

scholar

Richard J Bevington

11

Hanley, Staffordshire

Son

scholar

1881 census
49 John Street, Hanley
Stoke upon Trent, Staffordshire, England

Name

age

Birthplace

Relationship

Occupation

Henry Bevington

42

Hanley, Staffordshire

Head

China guilder

Charlotte Bevington

36

Hanley, Staffordshire

Wife

China paintress

Rose Bevington

 

Hanley, Staffordshire

Daughter

 

Florence Bevington

 

Hanley, Staffordshire

Daughter

 

Odo Bevington

 

Hanley, Staffordshire

Son

 

Ann Goldstraw

 

Hanley, Staffordshire

Sister-in-Law

China guilder