The town now known as Hanley developed from two originally separate settlements: Hanley and Shelton. 

Both were townships within the ancient parish of Stoke-upon-Trent, and for many years remained legally distinct despite growing side by side.

In the 17th and early 18th centuries, Hanley itself consisted of small scattered hamlets, notably Upper Green and Lower Green, while Shelton was the larger and more established settlement. 

• As the pottery industry expanded during the later 18th century, both townships experienced rapid growth. New housing, workshops, and factories spread along the main routes between them, gradually filling the open land that had once separated the two.

• By the early 19th century, this expansion had created a continuous built-up area. Although a boundary still existed — commonly identified along Stafford Street — Hanley and Shelton had effectively become a single town in all but name. Contemporary directories noted that, while still “two distinct liberties”, they formed one densely populated and well-built market town.

• Despite this physical unity, local administration remained divided. Each township retained its historic identity within the parish framework, and governance was shared between parish authorities, manorial structures, and various local bodies. This arrangement became increasingly inadequate as the population and industry of the town continued to grow.

A major change came in 1857, when Hanley and Shelton were formally united and incorporated as the Municipal Borough of Hanley. This created a single corporate authority with an elected council, replacing the older and more fragmented system of local governance. The new borough also encompassed the adjoining industrial district of Etruria, reflecting the wider urban area that had developed around the pottery industry.

Incorporation brought with it the powers typical of a Victorian municipal borough, including responsibility for policing, street lighting and paving, sanitation, markets, and public buildings. It marked Hanley’s emergence as the principal commercial and administrative centre of the Potteries, a position it would retain into the 21st century.

1845-1858 

Francis Morley & Co

1858-1862

Morley & Ashworth 

Francis Morley mark (c.1845–1858) - marked “Shelton”, reflecting the earlier use of the township name before Hanley became the dominant place-name.

Morley & Ashworth mark (c.1858–1862) - now marked “Hanley”, illustrating the shift in usage following the formation of the partnership and the incorporation of the Borough of Hanley in 1857.

Both of these manufacturers operated at the Broad Street Works. 

HANLEY is a large and modern market town, and chaperly, in the parish and borough of Stoke, about one mile and a half from that town, and rather more than two east by north from Newcastle; situate near to the turnpike road leading from the latter place to Leek, and close to the Grand Trunk canal: the exportation, by means of this navigation, of earthenware to Liverpool, Hull, the Metropolis, &c., is of such an extent, that a company is established for the sole purpose of carrying that article. 

The principal part of the town is on an elevated site; the streets are not regularly disposed, but many of the houses are well built. 

• The police of this town, like Stoke, is under the control of commissioners; and a chief bailiff is annually elected from among the most respectable inhabitants, whose duties are of the same nature as those exercised by the bailiff of Stoke. 

• The lord of the manor holds a court baron once a year; the crown (as possessor of the duchy of Lancaster), holds, by its officer, a similar court once within the same period; and another court, in which debts under forty shillings are recoverable, sits once a fortnight.

• The church, or rather chapel of ease, is a commodious structure of brick, erected in 1788, with a square tower one hundred feet in height, containing a fine set of bells; the living is a perpetual curacy, in the patronage of the trustees of the chapel. Dissenters of various denominations have numerous places of worship here; and there are British and national schools, well supported by voluntary contributions. 

• A mechanics' institute is established in the town; and near it is that excellent institution, the North Staffordshire Infirmary. 

• In 1812 an act was obtained for enlarging and regulating the market, and other specific purposes; and among the improvements which have consequently been effected is the erection of a very convenient meat-market. The act authorizes markets to be held on Wednesday and Saturday; the latter, which is the principal, is abundantly supplied with provisions of all kinds : large markets or fairs for cattle are held four times a year.
  

SHELTON is a township in the parish of Stoke, contiguous to Hanley, of which indeed, it forms an important portion, and its manufactures and police regulations are similar to those of that town. Shelton forms part of the borough of Stoke; and is the honour of Tutbury [NOTE], within the jurisdiction of a court of requests held at the latter town, every third Tuesday, for the recovery of debts under forty shillings. 

• Extensive gas-works are in this township, which also contains some valuable charitable scholastic institutions. 

• Races are held annually in the neighbourhood.

• In this township are the potteries and the beautiful villa ETRURIA, erected by the late Josiah Wedgwood Esq.: the works form a large and interesting hamlet, and the villa is remarkable for the beauty of its situation, style of architecture, and for the many splendid Etruscan vases with which it is ornamented. These elegant specimens of art, produced under his own superintendence, are imitations of the original vases found in Italy, to the discovery of which that gentlemen was chiefly indebted for the elegance of form and purity of taste which he introduced into the manufactory of porcelain, china, and stone ware, for which this place is so deservedly celebrated, and which, by the use of flint in the composition of these articles (also introduced by the same talented person), has been progressively brought to its present state of perfection. 

• The Methodists have a chapel at the foot of Etruria bank.

NOTE: The Honour of Tutbury was a significant feudal barony (or "honor")—a large collection of landed estates and manors based around Tutbury Castle in Staffordshire. Granted by William the Conqueror to Henry de Ferrers after 1066, this major lordship spanned Staffordshire and Derbyshire. It later became a key part of the Duchy of Lancster. explore further »

"Hanley and Shelton, though two distinct liberties, or townships, maintain their poor conjointly with the rest of the parish of Stoke-upon-Trent, and form one densely populated and well-built market town, ranking in size and consequence, the second in the county of Stafford, and the largest in the district called the Potteries, in which it holds a central situation, being pleasantly seated on rising ground near the Trent and the canal, about a mile N of Stoke, and two and a half miles ENE of Newcastle-under-Lyme. 

• It has a population of 20,564 souls, 8609 in Hanley, and 11,955 in Shelton, which includes Etruria and part of Cobridge. Both are in the manor of Newcastle-under-Lyme.

• Hanley forms the north-eastern and highest part of town, and from it and Earl Granville's Coal and Iron Works, an old tram road, now worked by a locomotive engine, extends down to the Trent & Mersey Canal, at Etruria, where it now also forms a junction with a station on the North Staffordshire Railway. 

• The houses have a neat appearance and some of them are spacious and elegant, there being here many of the most wealthy and extensive china and earthenware manufacturers in the Potteries, and in the suburbs are several coal and iron works.

• Cobridge is now a populous district, extending from the suburbs of Shelton to Burslem, and mostly in the latter parish, and partly in Shelton.

• Etruria, in Shelton township, is now a populous suburb, with a wharf and railway station. It owes its origin and name to that late celebrated porcelain manufacturer, Josiah Wedgwood, Esq."
  

"Hanley, the most populous town in North Staffordshire, is generally described as the capital of the Potteries, a title to which it has certainly the greatest pretensions; for, if it cannot claim that historic association with the industry which belongs peculiarly to Burslem, it has during the present century made such strides in the art, as to overtake and pass all competitors. At the census of 1891, the population of the municipal borough reached the total of 54,846; and such is the prosperity of the district, that at the present time this number has been very largely increased. 

• No doubt the situation of the town has had much to do with its rapid growth, for it is placed almost directly in the centre of the district, being about two miles south of Burslem, three miles north-west of Longton, and about a mile and a half due north of Stoke. 

• It is well placed for transit purposes, being quite close to the Cauldon branch of the Trent and Mersey Canal, and occupies a healthy situation upon an eminence overlooking the whole district. 

• In 1857 the townships of Hanley and Shelton, forming a portion of the parish of Stoke-upon-Trent, were incorporated, and now constitute the municipal borough of Hanley, all local authority being vested in the Corporation. 

• The borough has a commission of the peace, and a separate Court of Quarter Sessions, granted in November 1883. By the Redistribution of Seats Act, 1885, Hanley was made a Parliamentary borough, comprising the boroughs of Hanley and Burslem, and so much of the borough of Stoke-upon-Trent as lies north of Hanley, and is not included in the local government district of Tunstall. For this district, one member is returned. Under the Local Government Act of 1888, Hanley, for certain purposes, is declared a county borough.

• During the forty years that the town has possessed its own municipality, the borough has been very greatly improved. The streets are wide and well paved, being admirably lighted by the British Gas Light Company Limited; while there is an excellent water supply by the Staffordshire Potteries Water Works Company. The drainage system has been carried out upon the most improved principles, the configuration of the district admirably lending itself to a perfect system of sewage; and the death rate of the borough is remarkably low for an industrial town. The town is connected with Burslem, Stoke, and Longton by steam trams."