The Nile Street Works, Burslem

Jewitt records that the Nile Street works had been built on the site of a previous early pottery and that "Messrs. Riley, who removed from here (Nile Street) to the Hill Works, were succeeded by James Cormie, uncle of Thomas Pinder".
Trade Directories record that John (James) Cormie operated the following works:
1818 - Sitch, Burslem
1822 - Queen Street, Burslem as Bourne & Cormie (partnership ended in 1823)
1828 - Queen Street, (Bell Works) - in 1834 he went bankrupt at this works.
1834 - Nile Street, Burslem

John Cormie held houses at Hole Croft (near the Nile Street works) - he auctioned these in 1836. He died in January 1854 aged 1854.
Thomas Pinder operated from the Swan Bank Works from 1848 and the Fountain Place Works from c.1852 - in 1851 he was joined by two partners and they operated as Pinder, Bourne and Hope (Thomas Pinder, Joseph Harvey Bourne, John Hope).
In 1860 they moved to the already existing Nile Street Works - manufacturing Earthenware. In 1862 Mr. Hope left the partnership and stayed at the Fountain Place Works - the Nile street works continued as Pinder, Bourne & Co.
In 1877 the business and works of Pinder, Bourne & Co were purchased by Henry Doulton of the Lambeth (London) pottery company Doulton & Co.
Also in 1877 Henry Doulton was knighted, a few years later he was awarded the Albert Medal by the Royal Society of Arts.
The name of Pinder, Bourne & Co. continued to be used until 1882 when it became Doulton & Co. Ltd.
In 1884 Doulton's added a new wing for the manufacture of bone china.
1901, the Burslem based Doulton works was granted the Royal Warrant by the new King, Edward VII. It was this that enabled the business to adopt new back-stamp and a name that would last: Royal Doulton.
The old established pottery company Minton effectively merged with Royal Doulton in 1968.
Royal Albert, as a part of Allied English Potteries, joined when Royal Doulton merged with AEP in 1971.

Since then, the business combined the current three main brands under a shared identity: Royal Doulton, Royal Albert, and Minton. Fine bone china, fine china and Lambethware became the hallmarks of quality from Royal Doulton, alongside a host of tableware and other products from the core brands, such as Old Country Roses by Royal Albert, and Haddon Hall by Minton.

Wedgwood acquired Royal Doulton on January 14, 2005.
Royal Doulton left it's factory in Burslem having established a state-of-the-art production facility in Indonesia - some of the finer pieces still being made at Barlaston in Stoke-on-Trent.
Demolition of the Nile Street works started in October 2008.

John Cormie blue printed Iron Stone pot R.K. Henrywood Staffordshire Potters	P B & H Pinder, Bourne & Hope	Pinder, Bourne & Co at the Nile Street Works, Burslem
Doulton, Burslem, England		Royal Doulton

Ornamental Design for Toilet Ware. Registered in May 1868 for Messrs Pinder Bourne & Co, Burslem

"Marina" Design for Earthenware. Registered Sept 1869 for
Messrs. Pinder Bourne & Company. Nile Street Works, Burslem
- The National Archives -

1851 map of Nile Street, Burslem and the potworks

Staffordshire Past Track

1877 map of the Nile Street Potworks

1898 map of the Nile Street Potworks

1898 map - the works marked in blue are those of Doulton & Co.

The works outlined in green were those of Holmes, Plant & Madew (subsequently Holmes & Plant) - these works were on the corner of Nile Street and fronted Sylvester Street. Later these works were made part of Doulton’s Nile Street factory

Google map of the Nile Street Works
c.2008 - after closure of the works but before demolition

the Nile Street Works c.2008
after closure of the works but before demolition
- Bing maps -

from: 1907 Staffordshire Sentinel 'Business Reference Guide to The Potteries, Newcastle & District'

Nile Street

(Waterloo Road)

1 Moulton, George, grocer and confectioner

3 Warburton, John William, tobacconist & hairdresser

5 Gater, Mrs. Emma, general dealer

7 Mee, Robert J., Blue Ball (F.L.)

11 Jones, John, salesman and pawnbroker

— Here is Mayer Bank —

— Here is Prince Street —

13 Berrisford, Mrs. Fanny. grocer & provision dealer.

Sneyd Church
Minister, Rev. Thomas I. Rabone

Doulton & Co., Ltd., sanitary, china, and earthenware manufacturers, Nile Street Works

21 Beckensall, Thomas Alder, Crown and Anchor (B.H.)

—Here is Sylvester Street—

27 Spooner, Thos., refreshment rooms

29 Mandley, dresser

31 Cooper, John, sanitary presser.

33 Green, Thomas S., grocer, baker, & provision dealer

37 Lynch, Jno., potter's printer

39 Harding, William, miner

41 Dunleany, Edward, potter 4

3 Stoker, Albert, labourer

45 Barlow, Wm., plumber and decorator

—Here is Albert Street—

47 Pack, Wm., Durham OX (B.H.)

49 Podmore, John, potter

51 Leigh, Wm., hairdresser

53 Bowcock, Mrs. Lizzie

55 Bowcock, Wm.,clogger

—Here is Back Nile Street—

57 Moss, Mrs. Elizabeth, fish and tripe dealer.

Sneyd Collieries, Ltd., colliery proprietors.

Bew and Beech, coal merchants

—Here is Hot Lane—

Postcard of Sneyd Church (Holy Trinity), Nile Street, Burslem

Built in Nile Street in 1851 (it is not on the 1851 map above but is shown on the 1877 map).
Designed in the Gothic style by G.T Robinson of Wolverhampton, who also designed Burslem's second town hall which was opened in 1854 in the Market Place.
On the right of the church is the pottery works of Pinder, Bourne & Hope - the bottle kilns can just be seen over the roof line.
The church suffered damage from subsidence and was demolished in 1959 - the site became a car park used by Doultons Visitors and Factory Shop.

another view of the Holy Trinity Church on Nile Street, Doulton's China works to the right
photo: Ewart Morris

the same view after the Holy Trinity Church had been demolished

the same view after the Holy Trinity Church had been demolished
photo: Ewart Morris

a well known postcard of the workers home time at Doulton & Co in Nile Street, Burslem

a well known postcard of the workers home time at Doulton & Co in Nile Street, Burslem
- photo c.1900 -
the Holy Trinity Church can be on the left, the large
Doulton & Co building was the china works which was added in 1884

slightly later postcard of a similar scene - now simply called Doulton's
(compare the change in entrance to the church and the different street lamp)

Royal Doulton - the view c.1980's
photo: Ewart Morris

1901 the Burslem based Doulton works was granted the Royal Warrant
1959 the Holy Trinity Church was demolished

entrance to the original Doulton & Co. Ltd china works
photo: Steve July 2008

Royal Doulton Art Deco style Factory shop, Burslem
photo: July 2008

Doulton Factory shop and Potery Works, Nile Street
photo: 2007

The main Doulton works on the corner of Nile Street, and Zion Street

Sir Henry Doulton (1820-1897)
installed at Market Place, Burslem

The statue depicts Sir Henry Doulton wearing formal Victorian dress;
his left hand holds his top hat, his right hand his umbrella,
and he wears a flower in his button hole.

Nile Street Works

That these works were built upon the site of an early pottery is evidenced by fragments of pitchers, 'porringers', and other salt-glazed domestic vessels of 'red and yellow clay marbled together', being exhumed at one time or other during the alterations.

Messrs. Riley, who removed from here to the Hill Works, were succeeded by James Cormie, uncle of Thomas Pinder, who traded under the style of Pinder, Bourne & Co. China was at one time made here, but then only printed, enamelled, and gilt earthenware, fine red-ware, jet-ware, and sanitary goods. The red-ware or terra-cotta of Pinder, Bourne & Co. was of fine, hard and durable quality; and the vases, spillcases, and other articles richly enamelled and gilt in arabesque and other patterns were remarkably good.

Among other specialities were flower-vases and jardinieres skilfully painted in birds, flowers, etc. The firm patented improvements in ovens and in steam printing-presses; but the latter, having excited the hostility of the workmen at the time of the riots in 1842, were abandoned. The firm received medals at the London and Paris Exhibitions of 1851, 1855 and 1867.

The marks were a garter with the name of the pattern and initials P.B. & Co. surmounted by a crown and encompassed with a wreath of laurel, and the triangle-shaped mark. Messrs. Pinder, Bourne & Co. were of the period 1862-82.

After the works passed into the hands of Messrs. Doulton, in 1882, immense strides in improvements in every department were made, and the productions rank with the very best.

This is especially noticeable in the body of the finest earthenware, which arrived at a state of perfection. As a rule, earthenware is, by the generality of people, looked upon as inferior in every way to china and as unworthy of the high artistic treatment lavished upon that favoured body. This, however, is a mistake, and Messrs. Doulton wisely directed their energies not only to its improvement but its Perfection. In this they were successful, and the result is that their earthenware has all the fineness and beauty, the artistic treatment, and the exquisite finish of the best classes of porcelain with, in addition, a softness of surface and a delicious creaminess of tone.

Messrs. Doulton employed a large number of first-class artists in the decoration of the ware, and new studios were fitted up to meet the requirements of the increased demand that sprung up for high-class art-productions. In 1884, Doulton's Burslem factory commenced the manufacture of fine porcelain, a product for which they are now internationally famous.

The artists include P. Curnock, D. Dewsbury, F. Hancock, H. Mitchell, E. Raby and G. White.
Messrs. Doulton's continue to the present day, and their Burslem products (including many figures and groups) have won world-wide fame.

Jewitt's: Ceramic Art of Great Britian 1800-1900

contents: 2011 photos