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18th century

Leeds Pottery was originally founded in Hunslet, a village just outside Leeds, in around 1770.   In its early years it was owned by members of two families, both called Green, who were then joined by a Lancashire businessman called William Hartley, giving the company the name under which it became famous - Hartley Greens & Co.   Rapid expansion followed and by 1790 the Pottery employed 150 people and its products were exported throughout Europe and as far afield as Russia and America.

Creamware

Hartley Greens & Co produced several kinds of pottery but was particularly famous for its Creamware.   This was a new type of earthenware made from white Cornish clay combined with a translucent glaze to produce its characteristic pale cream colour.   Creamware was perfect for making the elegant and highly decorative tableware in demand in the Georgian age.   Although it was also made by many other companies, the commercial success and outstanding quality of the Leeds product meant that in time all Creamware came to be popularly known as "Leedsware".

19th century

In the early 19th century, faced with fierce competition from overseas and changing fashions in tableware, the Pottery began to struggle.   It underwent several changes of ownership, reflected in the company name which became Wainwright & Co, then Stephen & James Chappell, Warburton & Britton and lastly Richard Britton & Sons.   It finally closed down in 1881 and the buildings were demolished.

In 1888 production of Leedsware was restarted by James Wraith Senior, who had worked at Leeds Pottery in his youth.   He used the old designs and marked his products "Leeds Pottery"   This business was carried on by his sons until 1957.

20th century

The next revival of Leeds Pottery began in 1983 when Leeds City Council started up a workshop for the disabled, making reproductions of pieces from its museum collections.   When funding dried up, the Council was obliged to sell the business into the private sector and production was moved to Stoke-on-Trent, where raw materials and a suitably skilled workforce were available.   The company passed into its present ownership in 1992 when it once again adopted the name Hartley Greens & Co.

If you want to know more ...

A detailed and lavishly illustrated two-volume history of Leeds Pottery has recently been published (see photo above):

• John D Griffin, The Leeds Pottery, 1770-1881 (Leeds, 2005; ISBN 0-9547979-0-6)

The following older books are now out of print but still available through good second-hand bookshops:

• Donald Towner, The Leeds Pottery (London, 1963)
• Peter Walton, Creamware and Other English Pottery at Temple Newsam House, Leeds (Bradford & London, 1976)
• J R & F Kidson, Historical Notices of the Leeds Old Pottery (facsimile, Wakefield, 1970)

We regret that we are not qualified to give valuations on antique Leedsware, but we are always interested to hear about old pieces and are happy to try to answer any questions.