A Brief History of the North Staffordshire Pottery Industry

The North Staffordshire area in England is known as The Potteries. It gets its name from the fact that it was once home to a thriving pottery industry. But what led to this arising in this particular area? This historical account is from guest author Jesper Harter.

The fundamental reason is a simple one – there is an abundance of coal and clay in the area. This is what led to there being a small number of farmer-potters in the 17th Century. Good clay could literally be dug from the surface with which they primarily made butter pots in which to sell butter made in nearby Burslem. It is for this reason that Burslem is sometimes referred to as being the ‘mother town’ of The Potteries.

The coal found in the local area also lent itself to firing pottery ovens, so the geology of the region played a key role in creating the industry in more ways than one. The practice grew and soon there were small factories in a number of local villages, all of which lie along a rich seam of coal and clay and many of which have now become part of Stoke-on-Trent. This is why Stoke is unlike other cities. It doesn’t really have a major centre with arterial roads in the same way as similarly sized towns. Instead, it is long and narrow.

By the middle of the 18th Century, the pottery industry was significant and people wanted white clay similar to that from China as well as the red kind found locally. Clay was sourced from Dorset and later Devon. By this point, the industry was firmly established. Fuel and clay were now allied to expertise and years of experience. It is said that as many as half of the local population were skilled craftspeople.

Even though a great deal of clay was being transported, there were no real roads to speak of until the 18th Century, with a canal being cut around the same time. The latter became the main means of bringing in the necessary raw materials until the railway was constructed in 1848. There were a great many potters over the years, but one long-lasting firm has arguably become the most famous – Wedgwood.

Josiah Wedgwood was a sharp businessman and was also very scientific in how he approached production. His success can be gauged by the fact that Wedgwood china is still greatly in demand, even today. This goes to show that although the industry is less dominant than it once was in the region, The Potteries is still an accurate name.

Author Jesper Harter has written about Wedgwood China on behalf of China Presentations.