Page 9 - Oct 3 & 4 Auction 2020

First up three rare pottery sample advertising ginger beers
Ginger Beers
One of the oldest Bristol pottery companies (established c. 1735-40) based at Temple Street, with some conjecture regarding actual founders.
Charles Price became an apprentice in December 1785 with Thomas Alsop listed as the adjacent pottery in 1783, but from 1808 to 1813 this pottery was listed as ‘Price & Read, Late Alsop’, next to ‘the Bunch of Grapes’ in Thomas St. After 1818 the pottery was listed as ‘Charles Price, Late Price & Rhead.’ It appears Price purchased the adjacent pottery (Milsom & Menson) around 1808. In 1853 Charles (son of Charles Price Snr)
bought another nearby pottery in Temple St from two Miss Brights. Following the death of Charles Jnr in 1868, and in 1875 immediate land was purchased and the two
potteries joined. By the turn of the
century Price was probably the second largest manufacturer
of ginger beer bottles. See D Askey
‘Stoneware Bottles - 1500-1949’, p127-128.
554. PRICE SON & COMPY BRISTOL SAMPLE
GINGER BEER
BOTTLE. 7ins tall, std/ blob top, all white. 5 lines of black transferred writing with pictorial coat of arms to centre. Old base repair - displays OK. Extremely rare. (7/10) NR £150-200+
555. No lot.
The Wilnecote Works, nr Tamworth, were established by George Skey in 1860 when he purchased the coal mines there with the intent of working them. On snking several shafts he discovered valuable beds of clay and other clays suitable for his purposes and new
plans were drawn - the extensive works completed in 1862. By the late 1870’s the works were considerably enlarged to employ several hundred persons, using about 300 tons of coal and clay per week.
From 1864 the pottery was known as The Wilnecote Co Ltd, and from 1864 became George Skey Co Ltd, Mrs Skey being the managing director.
Skeys produced a large range of terracotta wares - vases, pedestals, fern stands, garden seats, game pie dishes, cornices and chimney pots. Their ‘Bristol’ glazed wares included ‘stone bottles, flasks and jars, much like Lam,beth, Bristol and Derbyshire. Their manufacture
of ginger beers was considerably less than any of their competitors.
See D Askey ‘Stoneware Bottles - 1500-1949’, p127-128.
557. GEORGE SKEY & Co SAMPLE GINGER BEER BOTTLE. 6.6ins tall, std/ blob top, t.t. Large oval bordered transfer with flagon pictorial to centre. Minute thin shoulder glaze flakes. Never seen another? (9/10) NR £200-300+
James Stiff’s London Pottery was second only in size to Doulton in London in the 19th century., also located in Lambeth High St fronting on to the Thames just a few hundred yards up river from Doulton & Co.
A small pottery was recorded on the same site as early as 1751, and in 1840 the manufactory was taken over by James Stiff, when there were just two kilns. Extensive development took place and by 1878 this had mushroomed to some fourteen kilns, extending across over two acres. Stiff’s boasted an extensive river frontage on the Albert Embankment with a private dock enabling the company to develop a considerable export trade and economical import of clay and coal. The principle wares were brown salt glazed stoneware including drainpipes, water filters, jugs, bottles (no gingers on the accompanying advertisement?) all types of chemical apparatus off white two tone ‘Bristol’ glazed items, terra cotta garden vases and pedestals, chimney pots, and finally insulators used in the massively expanding telegraphic industry.
In the later 19th century they manufactured very decorative, coloured glaze, stoneware jugs and vases in not dissimilar
style to Doulton wares of the time. It is
believed there was in fact a close working
relationship with the teo.
By the 1870’s James
Stiff employed about 200 people, with
an annual
clay and coal import around 15,000 tons, with worldwide exports..
See D Askey
‘Stoneware Bottles - 1500-1949’,
p127-128.
556. JAMES
STIFF & SONS LAMBETH SAMPLE GINGER BEER BOTTLE. 6.9ins tall, std/ int screw, all white. Oval lined design with central shield pict. Never seen this particular sample ginger
before - perhaps unique? Various glaze crack lines/ crazing - might bleach out? No actual damages.
(8/10) NR £170-220+
558. N. & S. SHIELDS & TYNEMOUTH A N DODDS GINGER BEER BOTTLE. 8ins
tall, ch/ blob top, t.t. Stunning & highly ornate red print transfer with typical Buchan swirls/
banners, pict. rearing lion t.m. A very fine example of a rarely offered top ginger. (9/10)
NR £150-200+
559. D. D. UNDERWOOD MARYPORT GINGER BEER BOTTLE. 8.1ins tall, ch/ screw
top, t.t. Aonther typical qulaiy Buchan transfer design, ornate, crisp, central pict. t.m. of bunch of grapes. Some inmanufacture
body discolouration, otherwise a fine example of another
rarely offered gingers. (8.7/10) NR £60-80+