Victoria Works, Longton

Victoria Works, Longton
Located at Victoria Place off Stafford Street.
(became Garnham Place off The Strand)

"A works in what became Victoria Place, off Stafford Street, was built by Ralph Shaw c. 1828 and was subsequently run by him or his tenants. His executors still owned the premises in the early 1880's. Yale and Barker were there in the early 1840's when the works was described as 'a small, well-conducted factory; rooms low, small, and dirty'; Cooke and Griffiths held it in 1850 and 1851 and Walker and Finney from 1853. Joseph Finney was working on his own there in 1858 and began manufacturing china instead of earthenware in the late 1860's; he was still at the works in 1900. Messrs. Cartwright and Edwards, of the nearby Borough Pottery since at least 1869, held the Victoria Pottery also by 1912. When Cartwright and Edwards Ltd. became a subsidiary of Alfred Clough Ltd. in 1955 both works were sold to the Manor Engineering Co. Ltd. The Victoria Pottery was pulled down and the present [1963] Victoria Foundry built on the site."

Footnote: 'showing Shaw & Yale in 1840' Meigh, 'Staffs. Potters'

Source: 'Longton', in A History of the County of Stafford: Volume 8, ed. J G Jenkins (London, 1963), pp. 224-246. British History Online http://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/staffs/vol8/pp224-246

"Victoria Works. Built by the late Mr. Ralph Shaw about 1828, these works still remain the property of his executors. About 1853 they were taken by Mr. Joseph Finney, who still [1878] carries on the business.

For the first fifteen years of Mr. Shaw's working, earthenware was manufactured, but it was then converted into china works and has so continued to the present time. The goods produced are the usual classes of tea, breakfast, and dessert services, and fancy goods of fair average quality in body and decoration for home and foreign markets."

Llewellynn Jewitt: 'Ceramic Art of Great Britain' Vol II, 1878

SOURCES: Jewitts 'Ceramic Art of Great Britain 1800-1900', Victoria History of the County of Stafford Vol. VIII.

From	To	Occupier	Comments
1828	1858	Ralph Shaw	Works built by Ralph Shaw and was subsequently run by him or his tenants. His executors still owned the premises in the early 1880's.
		Yale & Barker	Yale & Barker occupied the works in the early 1840's - the works were described as 'a small, well conducted factory; rooms low, small and dirty'
1850	1851	Cooke & Griffiths	Cooke occupied part of the Victoria Works with Hulse (as Cooke & Hulse) 1835-55/6. Also with Griffiths 1850-51
1853	1858	Walker & Finney
1858	1900	Joseph Finney & Co.	In the late 1860's Finney began to produce China instead of earthenware; he was still at the works in 1890.
1912	1955	Cartwright & Edwards	Cartwright and Edwards were at the nearby Borough Pottery since at least 1869. By 1912 they also took the Victoria Works.