Description
- circa 1930-1946 due to the stamp
- hand wash
Earthenware manufacturer at various factories in Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent
In 1885 Bertram John Swinnerton (b.1868 d.1913) began a factoring business at the Burton Place Works in Burton Place, Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent – Swinnerton renamed this the Vulcan Works.
In 1906 Swinnerton began manufacturing at a works in Slippery Lane, Broad Street, Hanley – which Swinnerton also called the Vulcan Pottery.
Mr. H. Field was appointed as their London agent, showing their samples at his rooms, 106, Hatton-garden, E.C.
Became a limited company in 1911.
1911 – Bertram Swinnerton partnered with Walter Lindley in buying the Chelsea Works in Slippery Lane, off Broad Street, Hanley, from Cartlidge & Matthais.
Sadly in 1913 Bertram Swinnerton died by suicide.
Walter Lindley then took Victor G. Alcock into the business. Alcock becoming chairman.
Alcock was called up to to serve in the First World War. Lindley persuaded an old school friend William Bloore, who was sales manager at Wilkinsons pottery, to join the business.
In 1917 another factory, the Washington Pottery, was acquired. (this works was vacated by 1946).
In 1919, after the war, the three partners purchased the teapot factory of Smith & Co. and formed a new company: Messrs. Alcock, Lindley and Bloore.
They retained the name Swinnertons for the original business and the two companies operated as ‘Allied Houses’.
In 1925, the Victoria Pottery was purchased, followed soon after by the purchase of the Scotia Pottery at Burslem, in the meantime, the teapot business had developed and a further teapot factory was added to the group.
The directors, now joined by the sons Mr. R.B. Bloore and Mr. W.S. Lindley, decided to build a new, single-storey factory, for the exclusive manufacture of Samian and Rockingham teapots.
In 1938 a start was made to rebuild the Vulcan Pottery, but it was interrupted by the Second World War. Both Swinnertons and Alcock, Lindley & Bloor continued manufacture during the war although some of the factories were closed.
August 1952 the redevelopment of the Vulcan Pottery was completed.
In 1952 the old-established business of Davison & Son Ltd., was purchased.
Trading at this time was still continued under the Swinnertons name.
William Bloor died in 1941, Walter Lindley in 1951 and Victor Alcock in 1958.
Following the death of Victor Alcock the Swinnertons group was taken over by the Lawley Group in 1959 and in 1964 the Lawley Group became part of Allied English Potteries (AEP).
The Swinnerton name was still in use by at least 1968.
In 1973 AEP merged with Royal Doulton and thus Swinnertons, among many other companies, became part of the Doulton group.
