Behind the Royal George Public House on Thornaby Road, stood Thornaby Pottery Works, also known as Stockton Pottery Works and Stafford Pottery on Sun Street. The pottery was one of the first on Teesside. It was established in 1825 by William Smith a local Stockton builder.
Photographs taken December 1991.
On the birth certificate of my husbands 2 x great grandfather, John Byram Thompson, it says that he was born at Thornaby Pottery, South Stockton. Were there any houses there in 1847?
I have a map of 1850 which shows houses in the vicinity of the pottery. The 1851 Census shows that people working at the pottery lived nearby in Pottery Lane, Pottery Bank, and Stafford. You may be interested to know that a Thompson family lived in one of the houses on Pottery Bank. Josiah Thompson (46 yrs) was a Potter at the local works. But there is not a 4yr old son called John in his family. Nearby an Isabella Byram (22yr.) was a lodger in a house in Stafford. She was employed at the pottery as an earthenware painter.
Hi Cliff
I’m hoping you are still active here or at least get notifications from it.
I have recently found a plate from these potteries which is signed on the back – Eleanor Addison 1845.
It is a design I cannot find anywhere.
However, I was wondering if this persons name appears in the 1851 census. This lady would be my great grandmother.
Thanks.
Hi
You have just solved a family tree problem. My 2nd great grandmother Sarah Thompson is John Byram Thompson’s sister. Census transcribed records had indicated she was born in the village of Thornley not Thornaby! I have more detail on Ancestry if you would like to share. Her father was Anthony Thompson, potter and the family moved around. He worked at Stafford Pottery in 1841.
Mr C M Pearson Bloxwich metal detecting club just found a STOCKTON pottery stamp made of bronze with a tang on the back in a field at MARSTON nr WHEATON ASTON staffs.
Please could you post a photo of this interesting item to the Picture Stockton team so that we can all see it?
This stamp is at the POTTERIES MUSEUM HANLEY at the moment from Colin.