Vine Pottery, Stoke

Vine Works, Stoke, Stoke-upon-Trent

The Vine Pottery Works, Summer Street, Stoke
The works were located alongside the Newcastle-under-Lyme to Stoke canal
The Birks family has been involved in the ceramic industry in the Potteries since 1812 when ten year old Isaac Birks modeled a black basalt creamer. Isaac worked for Minton where ten members of the Birks family covering at least three generations were employed at some time, usually as modelers.
Lawrence Arthur Birks (b.1857 - d.1935) worked 22 years for Minton, and was apprenticed to the great pâte-sur-pâte artist Louis Marc Emmanuel Solon.
He left Minton in 1894 establishing L. A. Birks & Co. in 1895 which in 1900 became Birks Rawlins & Co.

From

Occupier

Comments

1895

1900

The Vine Pottery was founded by Lawrence Arthur Birks and Charles Frederick Goodfellow Adolphus J. Rawlins was as a partner (the '& Co.')
Goodfellow retired in 1898.

1900

1933

Birks, Rawlins & Co. (Ltd)

After Goodfellow's retirement the company became Birks, Rawlins & Co.

In 1928 Wiltshaw and Robinson purchased Birks, Rawlins and Co, when the latter found themselves in financial difficulty following the National Strike and Wall Street Crash.

They incorporated a new company, Birks, Rawlins and Co. Ltd., with the intention of continuing to manufacture china at The Vine Pottery.

Birks, Rawlins had produced a huge range of fine bone china using the trade name Savoy China and Wiltshaw and Robinson made good use of their patterns and shapes, adding many of their own patterns.

Shortly after the takeover a new trademark "The Original Birks China" was registered for Birks, Rawlins and Co, with the intent of trading on the old and respected name of Birks, Rawlins. Unfortunately this had little success and the number of patterns or shape produced is not known, with the quality not up to that of previous production.

source: Graces Guide

The London Gazette, 26th April 1898

notice that Charles Frederick Goodfellow retired
from the business of L.A.Birks & Co.

the business was continued by the remaining two partners
Lawrence Arthur Birks and Adolphus J. Rawlins

The London Gazette, 13th November 1934

notice of the dissolution of Birks, Rawlins & Co. Ltd.
[confirmation of the dissolution was published in
the London Gazette, 15 February 1935]

Birks, Rawlins and Co.
china and Savoy heraldic
china manufacturers

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

1898 map showing the location of the Vine Pottery Works

1924 map
Vine Pottery (China) on Summer Street, alongside the Newcastle under Lyme to Stoke canal

showing the location of the Vine Pottery Works in the local area
the Vine Pottery shown in blue
top right (light blue) is the Victoria Ground of Stoke City Football Club
to the left of the works is 'The Villas' (shown in red)

questions/comments/contributions? email: Steve Birks