William Henry Smith, born Stockton 1833 – died Hartlepool 1917. William with his brother George Fothergill Smith took over the running of The North Shore Pottery from their father James Smith. William then ran it on his on his own right, and also started another Pottery in Hartlepool, The Cliff house Pottery. He died as the result of burns suffered in a house fire at his Hartlepool home. Photograph and information courtesy of Lynton Smith, Australia 
Picture Stockton Archive
A Pictorial History of Stockton-on-Tees
Picture Stockton Archive 
My G G G grandfather Patrick Keegans emigrated from Cavan town, County Cavan between 1845 and 1851. He was a Potter by trade; in 1851 England census it showed he was in Thornaby, Stockton on Tees were he and his family lived at 23 Pottery Bank. I am assuming he worked for William Smith, Stafford Pottery…does anyone have any additional local information…employees records etc…
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I am researching our family tree and have discovered that we are related to James Brett-a potter who worked for William Smith at North Shore in Hartlepool. James” youngest daughter Eliza married Robert Farnham Herring in 1904. I have read the book by Philip Duce and he misses out Eliza, mainly because she lived with the Hodgson family next door at North Shore-Thomas Hodgson was also a potter at North Shore.This connection to North east Pottery really was an exciting part of our tree to learn, Thank you.
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Angela – I am related to Robert Farnahm Herring and Eliza Brett and also spotted the omission in Philip Duce’s book. I am searching for some Cliff House pottery – have you had any luck?
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Tracing my family tree,i have learned that ancestor Mary Gibson (1871) was a transferer in the pottery also her brother george gibson(1861)was refered to as potter white at one of the stockton potteries .possibly carroll st.Can anyone give me any info. on this period. Thanks
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As kids we used to play in the pottery on our bikes The gang as then were Kevin smith-David Oakley-Kevin Taylor -John Harrison. The ground was uneven, and provided much enjoyment as well as wrecking front wheels. We were always told that the potterys were bombed during the 2nd would war and hunting for shells or ammo passed the time between school and bed, alas nothing was ever found
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Carole, The William Smith pottery that you refer to was the Stafford Pottery in South Stockton (now Thornaby),not the North Shore Pottery in Stockton owned by the William Henry Smith that is pictured here. If you refer to the photo of James Smith (reference t6930) you will find the connection of James Smith and the William Smith that you mention.
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I would welcome any more information about William Smith”s pottery if possible. Thank you.
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Brett, please could you contact me through the PictureStockton Team for more information
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My gt.gt. grandfather Henry Cowap was a partner in the William Smith pottery company along with George Skinner and John Whalley from about 1828 onwards ,Henry and John had been Staffordshire potters and had transferred to Stockton. The company exported pottery to the continent and Belgium in particular. My gt.gt.grrandfather died in a hotel room in Hull whilst waiting to travel to Europe, presumably to sell pottery. There is more information about the company to be found on various web-sites.
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I am the great great grandson of William Smith, any information on the family pottery, fire etc. would be well received.
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Hi. My name is Kerry, I now live in north shore potteries.
We have been trying to find images of the house and just tonight finding this info out about the potteries have started looking online.
We are restoring the house.
Do you have any info on makers marks of the pottery? I would love to bring a piece home.
Please feel free to make contact or pop past to have a look and cuppa. kerry
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William’s daughter married John Woodcock, and the family moved to America in about 1878. If you have found any more information, I would love to have.
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There has been several references to the Brown Jug Inn in the comments refering to the North Shore Pottery. Can anyone tell me if this is the same building or the same location as the Brown Jug Inn & premises that was sold as part of the assets of James Smith after his death. It was listed is Brown Jug Inn & Premises,North Road Stockton. It was sold on 2nd June 1886 to Calder & Co.
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My grandfather Henry Thomas Bartlett was a potter at Clarence Potteries early 1900, he lived with his wife and four sons at 5 Victoria Place Norton. He died in May 1907,age 43, 3 months after his baby daughter. I remember my father telling me he went to Norton school. The family returned to London after the death of Henry.
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I am a collector of WW1 artifacts, last year I purchased a Rum Jar from a Belgium dealer, that was manufactured in the The Clarence Potteries, the makers mark is quite clear. This jar has an indented SRD mark which normally means it is early or Pre WW1 manufacture. The jar was recovered from a property near Polygon wood Ypres. There was tens of thousands Rum jars made for The Supply reserve depot SRD and sent to the front although quite common this is the first I have come across from Stockton on tees. can someone advise when pottery actully closed. I hope this is of some interest to you
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My family on my mother’s side were potters in the Clarence pottery. We lived in Hallifield Street and I believe most of the houses were owned by the Smiths. On my father’s side, my grandfather’s cousin died of wounds received at Polygon Wood. To think he may have been drinking rum from a pot that was made by an Arnold long before there was any family connection! It’s a small world.
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Hi frankspointstoponder Who were your relatives that lived in Hallifield Street?. My great grandad was a manager that the pottery according to censuses of that era and he also lived on Hallifield Street.
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Hi Frank, What number in Hallifield Street did your relatives live as my great grandad lived in the same street and was a manager at the pottery. He was brought up from Hanley in Staffordshire to work there.
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Bob – Just a small correction the parade of 4 shops were in fact in Brinkburn Road, in my day the greengrocers were Taylors, had a Daughter Carol, the next one tendered to be the ciggy shop the name eludes me, Portus had the general goods next, later to be owned by Blenkinsop, and the one on the end was at one time an aquarium. When as you say Bob the weather was bad (and the weather was bad remembering 1947) getting in and out of the estate was a nightmare, no one would deliver, afraid of getting stuck we went weeks with out coal, I was sent to Harry Wranghams for bead if he had any only the brave ventured over the common to walk to town. I remember struggling in the snow and ice to the electrical shop on Norton Road with Brian Knavanah, Taking the accumulator for the wireless to be recharged, we would leave one and bring one back, how it never got broken I will never know , What was the name of that shop next to the convent? When the thaw set in, and the rains came, it used to flood on the corner of Brinkburn and Swinburn, on one occasion it was 2/3 feet into Ned Place’s house at the back of us, we anxiously watch the water rise to with in a couple of inches of the back door step, and some one shouting “It will come through the floor boards first” the fire brigade spending several days at a time pumping the water out in to Lustrum Beck
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David Harding – David ths does not appear to be the Brown Jug on Norton Road. If memory serves it is on the corner of Larkhall Square & it appears to be on the wrong corner. On top of that the window advert is for Bass & the Jug served Newcastle beers.
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Mike The Chap with the chickens was on the corner of Chadburn and Swinburn I lived 4 houses up in 7 Chadburn his garden or chicken run was in Chadburn backing on to Mr & Mrs Whitakers side, I used to take the bits of left over bread crusts (what there was as things were scares at the time) and he would give you a bag of cinder toffee, I can’t remember his name, I think he lived on his own, we looked on him as a bit of an ogre if your ball went in his garden, it was gone!! The garden was some 4/5 feet below the pavement the only way in/out was through the front gate, which he seemed to watching most of the time. Yes you have again jogged the memory it was Stainton I remember Peter?(Ithink) Coppax lived in the Grove There was also the Brenda Blenkinsopp I remember and the Ann Mudd on that end of Derwent Street further along towards the bank Bill Raybould lived he worked for Pickerings Lifts On the corner of Chadburn and Swinburn looking towards the railway were a pair of semi’s, Bruce Hillerby lived in the second one of the pair, then a vacant plot on the Rh side then another pair of semi’s being the first in Milburn Road, sort of isolated, then nothing more in Milburn until you got to Derwent Street end The houses went to the end on the LH side in Swinburn, I remember Gordon Smith and Jimmy Buckle I’m not sure if there was a Christine Hammond it doesn’t ring any bells
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Jeremy Harwood – I think the person you need to talk to is Mrs Claire Ledger in the comment above mine.
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My first house when I married was the last house in Milburn Cresent ,, no more houses as the war had stopped the building open fields as far as Lustrum Beck, ( Swinburn Road in the distance ) and backing onto the railway embankment an ideal place for brambles , but during our 3 year stay in Milburn, we must have had the fire-brigade down about a dozen times to put out the fires on the embankment, caused by the steam trains on the mineral line to I.C.I One occassion on going to see how our daughter was ,we were met by a wall of red as the fire reflected into the bedroom . Thankfully we had a line of shops near by in Chadburn Road as both Trent and Derwent were almost impossible for prams in frost or snow and one winter we burnt old shoes and wood from derelict fencing as the coal-cart could”nt get down the steep bank
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Ray Buck – Ray the other grove off the Derwent Street end of Chadburn was Stainton. Just to the right of that, raised from street level, lived the Shutts & the Milla(e)rs. We all played together as kids. As for the Hammonds, did they have a daughter Christine? The surname rings a bell, but I thought they lived two doors to the left. Other names that I remember are the Youngs, three boys, David, Alan, & Billy – their father had the unusal Christian name of Aquilla. I also seem to recall, that when you went to where Millburn Crescent was to be built, that there was a vacant plot, on the right, looking towards the railway and then a final house on Swinburn Road – or am I dreaming? Thanks for the reminder about Brian Morris, Betty Simpson I”m afraid rings no bells for me. One last thing a gentleman lived round the corner from Swinburn, again in Chadburn who had a free range chicken run in his garden. Finally, it may well have been away before I was old enough to remember, the Lane-Fox garage is a non stater for me I”m afraid.
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Hi Mike, I remember you and the Young boys. David was more usually called “Nav” and the youngest, Billy, was always called by his pet name “Willum”. Other names from our gang in those days are Chris Hope, Frankie Craggs (Bagsie), Les Bennet, Sue Pinkney, Gillian Gaukroger and Eileen Shutt. We used to hang out in the “Bagsie’s shed” in the Cragg’s back garden and play football on the cinders.
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Mike Played many a game on the cinders cricket, football and kite flying was another pastime , I remember just after the war (Now you know how old I am ) my father managed to acquire an yellow aerial box kite which had an aluminium push together tubular frame, with what seemed to be miles of cord, the first time we flew this kite Dad tied the cord to my arm in order not to lose it , however it was quite a powerful kite and almost lifted me off the ground dragging me along almost out of control. This was on the waste land behind Hylton grove and the next ? grove and the railway before the completion of Milburn Cresent, there was an old shed which I believe was where Lane Fox used to keep his lorries and building materials prior to the war. The last house on the left in Brentford road live Brian Morris, this was where the road petered out. Looking up Swinbure Road behind the gas lamp was Betty Simpson I believe I remember Mrs Banks and being able to nip through her garden to the ash pitch, Did Barry Hammond and his brother not live on the immediate left of the entering black path, Yes lots of memories come flooding back
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You can find a picture of the Brown Jug at http://www.harding.tk Family History Individual Ancestor Fact File William Stephen Harding
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Ray Buck – Ray that must have been before Brentford Road was extended I guess. There was a guy who lived on the left, your back to Trent Street bank, who ran a Citroen – Light 15, can”t remember his name no matter how much I wrack my brain. Just down the hill on Swinburn Road Lived Mrs Banks who used to allow us to go through her garden onto the common where we played football & cricket, using the telegraph pole as the wicket. When I was an infant my family lived in Dalton Grove, No 8, to the left of the “black path”. I visted home recently and found that you can still walk down Victoria Avenue onto that path, which is tarmacced now, into Dalton Grove, a real memory jerker!
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Peter Chisholm – Thomas Harwood was my gt gt gt gradfather, please if you see this get in touch church.house@polycomp.co.uk would love to get more infor
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Peter Mentioning the potteries brings back an awful lot of memories, as you say it was great for biking up and down the hillocks, when I was at Tilery school; I had to walk across the is waste land from Chadburn Road to Lustrum Terrace, then across Norton Road over the Rec to school, wet days you were covered in mud you could have course gone round by the lower track but this took longer. Later when at work would bike across to Pickering’s. One memory that sticks very firmly in my mind, we used to build model planes and launch them off the hill towards the railway sheds over the ash pitch we used for football. Having built the Mig15, I persuaded my Mother to let me buy the Jetex to power it, having fitted it, off to the hill lit the fuse and off it went and went and went never to be seen again, it must have ended up in the goods yard. Forgot to put any trim on the rudder to bring it round in a circle.
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Bob Irwin is right. The field opposite the Brown Jug was called the Potteries because it had been previously been used for clay extraction. We used to play in the Potteries field and the undulating hills made for great fun on bikes!
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my gt gt gt gt grandfather was thomas harwood who founded the clarence potteries in in the early 1800s. both of them situated on norton road close to where the brown jug is now, (thats why they called it the brown jug because whilst building it thats all they found!!)he also owned the brown ware pottery and the stafford pottery. he died on the 3rd july 1876 aged 71 and is buried at norton, at sy marys parish church. he owned lots of real estate in the area including 1,2,3 norton grove,grove villa, hill house, houses and butchers in edgar st stockton etc. his sons auctioned off the potteries at a public auction at the queens head hotel on the 24th jan 1877.
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hi there I live in what used to be grove villa I believe it was the potteries site the house has since been split we are trying to renovate it. do you have any images of this area you could share with me please there does not seem to be a lot of info on it. thanks kerry
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In the early 1990″s I was involved in the production of a detailed book about William Smith and his Cliff House Pottery in Hartlepool, written by Philip Duce, which stated that the North Shore pottery in Stockton had originally been a brick works owned by James Smith father of William and George Smith. If Lynton Smith has not already got a copy of this book please contact me, the picture stockton team has my email address.
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Further to the Potters Story and my Grandmother Elizabeth Lakey and the bread baking bowl, I remember my Mother Hilda Lakey telling me that the Tilery Recreation Ground was a stopping off point for troops going to the trenches in the first World War and that with her Mother they used to bake vast quantities of bread to take down to the soldiers to give them a treat of something home cooked. Does any one have any further information on this piece of history
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There was a Potteries field opposite the Brown Jug. It was undulating so I think that the clay for the pots was from here. I live in a Victorian house near to the Potteries and under the concrete in the backyard they used old pottery pieces as hardcore. I also keep digging up bits of pot in my garden
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Re Potter There was a Pottery at Mount Pleasant/Prospect Place, Norton just over the Beck The Clarence Potteries. It specialised in Brown-ware but beautiful pieces, some of which were on view in Green-Dragon Museum cellar. now in Preston Hall. The bowl Benny refers to was probably “seconds” which a character called “Mousehole Tommy”, who lived in Lark-Hall Square, nr Brown-Jug collecting from the works he traded round the streets of Stockton and Norton, including local farms. With both barrow and light horse drawn cart, the goods mostly basins and cook-ware in wicker straw-lined baskets. In Norton itself the High-Class table-ware was sold in a Miss Roper shop, High Street near The Unicorn”. She took deliveries from Clarence by both carrier and Imperial Tramway vehicles, the latter method in the care of one of her employees
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I remember my mother telling me the story of a Potter who worked from his factory in Tilery before the first World War. Mother told me of the day my Grand Mother Elizabeth Lakey sent my mother Hilda Lakey to the Potter to buy a large bread making bowl for sixpence. It appears the Potter asked my mother how big she wanted the bowl-and what was it for, so they must have made them to order on the premises. My mother said she had to carry the bowl over her head from the Potters to her house. I think the Potter was on the other side of the Beck to the Recreation ground, Does any one else have any information on this Potter.
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I believe that the North Shore Pottery was on the north bank of the Tees just downstream from the town centre. The Teesside Museum Service examined the site in the early 1970s and found lots of broken pottery lying all around, no excavation was required. Presumably some of their finds are in the collection of the Stockton Museum Service.
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