Herculaneum Pottery

[dazza]

Liverpool's forgotten Glory [with apologies to to Peter Hyland].

Herculaneum Pottery was built on the south shore, Toxteth in 1796. It survived for only 44 years. One of the reasons cited for it's early demise was the rapid development of the Staffordshire Potteries. Even today, 'Herculaneum pottery' is much sought-after by collectors, as examples of early earthenware, creamware and china from Liverpool's industrial past.


Image 1 ^ Herculaneum Pottery by George Codling, engraving as displayed on share certificates. c.1806. NML image.





Image 2 ^ Pottery location. The Potteries closed 5 years after the John Bennison map was drawn, in 1840.

D.

[pablo42]

Nice one Dazza.

[ChrisGeorge]

Fine work here, Dazza. Thanks. I often give talks on the War of 1812 and at one I gave in Alexandria, which surrendered to the British in 1814, a collector had a specimen of Liverpool pottery which was a small milk or cream jug with the American slogan "Free Trade and Sailors' Rights" and a picture of a battle at sea with the American ship flying the stars and stripes. It is probably not well known that the British made a lot of pottery with patriotic themes for the American market. Similarly I saw a lamp stand in the Maryland Historical Society made in Britain that was in the shape of Baltimore's Battle Monument, built to honor the American dead from the Battle of Baltimore during which the "Star-Spangled Banner" was written by Francis Scott Key.

Chris

[dazza]

Fine work here, Dazza.

Thanks Chris, I've been interested in the site, ever since reading The Herculaneum Pottery, a 'Liverpool University Press' book by Peter Hyland.

On the British/ American War of 1812, and of British patriotism [or 'loyalty' as I should say, here in the UK]. The British pottery industry seemed to be serving two masters! One for the home market, and one for export market, notably America. I did once see a picture of a Chamber Pot with George III's face looking up from it, complete with an English maker's stamp - no doubt made for a very appreciative American market? The potters had an eye, for a brown nose, it seemed [excuse the pun]?

Image 1 - some examples of c/pots: there's the 'Benjamin Franklin Butler' pot of civil war fame [not Herculaneum]; and even...

Image 2 - a 'W.E. Gladstone' pot [not Herculaneum].

Image 3 - a creamware Jug [Herculaneum] showing the 'Apotheosis of Washington' c.1805.

Image 4 - a Sailors jug [Herculaneum] which contained the sailor's prayer:

From Rocks & Sands
And every ill
May God preserve,
The Sailor still

Apparently there is still a lot of this Herculaneum pottery in circulation [in the US & UK], and you can regularly find it on eBay. In production from 1796-1840.

D.

[ChrisGeorge]

Hi dazza

I am sure the pottery-makers were entrepreneurs, prepared to sell their wares wherever they could, and if they could equally curry favor with the British with patriotically decorated wares as similarly products that would please the American market, well, why not?

I was amused by the Gladstone chamber pot. A renowned son of Liverpool, although possibly a political enemy of his or two enjoyed using that particular "po". By the way... I read that the possibly the only off-color reference that Edgar Allan Poe made in his writings was in doing a pun on his name!!!

Chris

[dazza]

I am sure the pottery-makers were entrepreneurs, prepared to sell their wares wherever they could, and if they could equally curry favor with the British with patriotically decorated wares as similarly products that would please the American market, well, why not?

Hi Chris,

'Entrepreneurs' oh totally. I'd love to get my paws on some pro-American, British earthenware?

The Gladstone pot, probably from [stick my neck out] the rival Wedgewood, Staffordshire kilns?

Edgar Allan Poe, cheerful soul! I can't imagine having a beer with him in the Fly in the Loaf? Poe-faced before he even started drinking!

Daz

[dazza]

I'm trying to ID this painting? Ship building on the Mersey?

Herculaneum Pottery can be seen on the lower ground, to the extreme right, with chimneys shown. And also, what appears to be a tall mill/ chimney on the higher ground, to the left - possibly Scott's mill???

[dazza]

3 Duke Street, Liverpool - 'Heculaneum Pottery Warehouse' from a lease taken out in 1807.


Image: a business card, as shown in The Herculaneum Pottery, Peter Hyland's book - source not credited.

[Waterways]

I'm trying to ID this painting? Ship building on the Mersey?

Herculaneum Pottery can be seen on the lower ground, to the extreme right, with chimneys shown. And also, what appears to be a tall mill/ chimney on the higher ground, to the left - possibly Scott's mill???

The shipyard looks like in front of Brunswick Dock, where boats are repaired to this day. The ships mast to the right look like Toxteth Dock with Harrington Dock would be where the Pottery is.

[dazza]

The shipyard looks like in front of Brunswick Dock, where boats are repaired to this day. The ships mast to the right look like Toxteth Dock with Harrington Dock would be where the Pottery is.

I've managed to do a bit of research on the painting since posting. It was originally featured in the "Lancashire Illustrated", by S. Austin & William Henry Pyne. The painting is called "Liverpool from the Mersey No.IV" There's a Google Books version of the Lancashire Illustrated, here. And there's a description of the scene featured on the painting on page 36.

Brief extract here:

'The ship-building yards which are exhibited in this plate, are situated between the river and the Salthouse Dock...'

'The large warehouse, which occupies the centre of the plate, belongs to the estate of the late Duke of Bridgewater, who caused this building to be errected...'

"The view is terminated by the Herculaneum Pottery, which competes with the great manufacturies of Staffordshire..."



----
Source: Lancashire Illustrated, Series of Views: from original drawings By S. Austin & William Henry Pyne

[Waterways]

I thought the pottery was either side of the sail. The description is right. The painting is before Albert Dock of course. Where Albert is was a large tobacco warehouse and on the river front shipyards. These were removed for Albert Dock. Lairds was here and eventually had to move across to Birkenhead as docks took the river and displaced the shipbuilding. Jones, Quiggin & Co were roughly were Coburg/Queens Docks are now. They built ships for the Confederates. The masts are mainly at Brunswick Dock, 1832, which originally dealt in timber, then a cargo-liner docks, with the Coburg pub being a place of stay for passengers.

The warehouse is here at Dukes Dock - demolished 1964.
Dukes Warehouse

I put this together:
Confederate Fleet

[dazza]

I thought the pottery was either side of the sail. The description is right. The painting is before Albert Dock of course. Where Albert is was a large tobacco warehouse and on the river front shipyards.

The potteries are directly above the buoy in the image. There's a whisper of smoke coming out of them. There also appears to be some land in the distant right, which I think could be step-back to the Dingle foreshore?

The ship-building yards shown in the engraving were once part of Trentham Street which adjoined them, and was subsequently excavated during the construction of the Albert Dock. The old river wall [& slips] would be roughly in line with where Fred's floating weather map used to be? I reckon that frigate would hit it, if launched today?

I put this together:
Confederate Fleet

Looks fascinating WW. I'm going to have a good look through tomorrow.

[Waterways]

circa 1833

[dazza]

circa 1833

Map above c.1833 ^ Brunswick Dock [shown above, far right] had only opened in 1832. This map is dated c.1833, so we should remove B.D. from our discussion about the painting/ engraving?

Lancashire illustrated, from original drawings (1831) The "Liverpool from the Mersey — No. IV" engraving [1 of a series of 100] was especially commissioned for this book and was completed between 1828 and 1829, with the Lancashire Illustrated book being published in 1831.

The absence of Brunswick is also supported by the text [in full below] which accompanied this engraving. The Queens Dock is the last cited on the south shore. No mention of Brunswick Dock, as it wouldn't be complete for another 3-4 years.



Liverpool from the Mersey — No. IV.

The ship-building yards which are exhibited in this plate, are situated between the river and the Salthouse Dock, and have long been occupied for their present uses. Notwithstanding the great quantity of shipping required to carry on the business of the port, the number of ships built in Liverpool was inconsiderable, when compared with the number annually launched at several insignificant towns on the north-east coast of England. This resulted more particularly from a combination among the journeymen shipwrights. Happily this confederacy no longer exists, and Liverpool may compete with other ports in naval architecture.

The number of vessels belonging to the port in 1828 was 793, measuring 158,446 tons, and navigated by 8900 men. This statement, however, affords no criterion of the quantity of shipping actually employed here, as a great part of the trade is carried on by means of vessels belonging to other ports.

The large warehouse, which occupies the centre of the plate, belongs to the estate of the late Duke of Bridgewater, who caused this building to be erected, and a Dock, contiguous to it, to be constructed, for the accommodation of the vessels employed in trading along his line of internal navigation. A branch of the Dock is beneath the roof of the building, by which arrangement goods may be warehoused without incurring any charge
for cartage, or being subject to risk of injury from exposure to the weather.

Farther south is shewn the King's Tobacco-warehouse, enclosing an area of three acres, one rood, and twenty-five perches, situated between the river and the King's Dock, erected by the Corporation, and rented by Government. All the tobacco imported is lodged here until the duties are paid, and the article examined. Whatever portion is damaged, so as to be unsaleable, is burnt within the premises, to prevent injury to the revenue. A gravelled terrace, extending the whole length of the King's Dock, lies between the warehouse and the river, and commands a fine view of the opposite shore.

The entrance to the basin of the King and Queen's Docks immediately succeeds, and the view is terminated by the Herculaneum Pottery, which successfully competes with the great manufactories of Staff'ordshire, both in the quality and cheapness of its wares.

We beg leave to add, that the series of Views now described, exhibits the most complete graphic delineation of Liverpool which has yet been presented to the public.





Painting analysis: IMO, this is how I think the description fits. I've pushed the potteries further back, to account for the Queen's Dock ship-building yards, which would have been seen at the time.

[marky]

Herculaneum Pottery/Maritime Museum were in the news last year:
http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.bl...-disaster.html