Shelley Potteries

By the beginning of the nineteenth century, although the district was relatively poor, the manufacture of earthenware was being developed and a number of pottery companies had been established.

In 1862 Henry Wileman employed Joseph Shelley (whose family had at one time produced pottery on the site now occupied by the Gladstone Museum) as a travelling salesman.

Wileman & Co were starting to produce ware to the public's taste and in 1896 had appointed agents in Australia, USA & Canada and had a showroom in London, describing themselves as "Manufacturers of Art Porcelain".

In 1899 the journal 'Artist' produced an article entitled "Some Beautiful English Pottery" this was completely devoted to what was then being termed Foley Art Pottery, one of the main fashion setters of that time, Liberty's of Regent Street, London was exhibiting a selection of the wares.

A decorative range of earthenware called "Intarsio" was one of Rhead's major contributions to the pottery.

Walter was an apprentice at Mintons in the late 1870s before moving to Doulton's, at Nile Street, Burslem under the direction of his uncle John Slater.

Shelley's placed advertisements advising the public of the changeover – one statement read: The world-wide reputation of "Foley" China has caused many cheap imitations and in future, to protect the public, the real and genuine "Foley" China will always be indelibly marked "Shelley" China, a trademark which is a guarantee of the highest excellence.In 1911 the economic situation had started to improve and Walter Slater was given more artistic freedom.

By 1914 Shelley had started to make a name for itself by producing dinnerware in china as opposed to high quality earthenware.

All three then started working for the company, Norman was concerned with production, Bob took over warehouses and stock control, Jack with his accountancy training took charge of the finances.

After completing his training he started to produce designs which in later years proved a huge success for the company.

During 1920 money was invested in developing the works and an extension that included an office block and showroom was completed (this was the three-storey building in front of the factory) The investment and improvements that were started in 1920 were now in evidence as quality and overall production at the factory continued to improve.

In the mid twenties Shelley broke with tradition and employed a well known illustrator of the time, Hilda Cowham, to produce a range of nursery ware.

The teapot was a bathing tent, the sugar bowl was a sea side bucket and the milk jug was a shell with a seaweed handle.

The response to these designs was enthusiastic and the Pottery Gazette wrote that they were "a truly irresistible range of nursery ware, altogether in advance of what was usually put before the trade".

The success of the company continued into the late thirties, but when war was declared in September 1939, Shelley was suddenly faced with the realisation that there would be shortages of labour due to conscription and that materials would quickly be in short supply.

In September 1945 the pottery industry was one of the first areas of manufacture to secure the release of key workers from the armed forces.

Vincent Bob's eldest son Alan joined the firm in the autumn of 1946 after serving in the navy.

Donald Alan's brother joined the firm two years later after obtaining an Honours Degree in Natural Sciences at Cambridge University.

Since the end of the war, Shelley continued to hold its own on the pottery manufacturing side of the business on both the home and overseas market.

New technology was starting to change the face of the pottery industry and the old bottle kilns were becoming redundant.