1/5/2011 0 Comments The 'Sheriff Hill' WesleyHaving attributed three of the Wesley transfers (to Dixon, Maling and Southwick), it would have been great to mop up the rest. The last big group to be identified closely resemble the 'Southwick' Wesley, but have the words 'FOUNDER OF THE' as an additional line in the title. I've stared at these plaques until I'm cross eyed, trying to work out if they came from one transfer plate. There are subtle differences, but you have to factor in the wear of the copper plate over time, and tiny flaws created during the application of the transfers. The idiosyncratic spacing of the lettering runs through all of them, but also through the 'Southwick' Wesley, which was clearly traced from the same source. My mind is still not made up. The four I own could possibly be from the same transfer plate, but there may be other variants. I've posted pictures of a fine imprint (left) and a degraded imprint (right), so you can compare. Click on the images to enlarge, and to move between them. As these plaques are generally black-and-yellow-bordered, and the transfers never appear on the larger pink-bordered forms, I'd previously assumed them to be earlier than the 'Southwick' and 'Dixon' versions. Thanks again to Keith Lovell for sharing his research into the following plate. The transfer is of Wesley with 'FOUNDER OF THE' in the title. The plate is special for two reasons. Firstly, it has the impressed mark 'J.&P' over a number '7', which Keith has identified as Jackson and Patterson of the Sheriff Hill Pottery, Gateshead, 1830–45 (R C Bell's 'Tyneside Pottery' book states the firm was run by Jackson & Patterson 1833–8, but records in the Sunderland Museum say 1830–45). Secondly, it has been personalised with the name Susanna Heslop, and was presumably commissioned as a gift to celebrate her birth or baptism. Civil registration of births began in 1837, so assuming the plate was made after then, the most likely candidate on record appears to be Susanna Heslop, born in Newcastle upon Tyne in 1841. So at least some of the plaques with 'FOUNDER OF THE' in the title are likely from the Sheriff Hill Pottery. Below are three shots of another personalised item with 'FOUNDER OF THE' in Wesley's title. Taking into account the curvature of the mug, it's impossible to say with certainty whether the Wesley comes from the same transfer plate as that on the plate above (click on the images to enlarge). It is, however, marked with a date, 1839, which would put it within the Sheriff Hill Pottery's production period. The dates on both of the above items are a little later than I would have previously guessed. The verse is the third of 'Sinners Obey The Gospel Word' by Charles Wesley, which appears on circular plaques (see the poetic verses page). I haven't yet seen verses from this particular hymn on the small rectangular plaques I've attributed to 'Southwick'. Wouldn't it be great to find a verse on a plate marked 'J.&P'!
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Please read my previous blog post first. Thanks to Keith Lovell and Ian Holmes for sending me photos of other items with Wesley transfers. It is harder to make the transfers out when they are applied to a rounded surface, but the ones below all appear to be the 'Southwick' Wesley, paired with a Charles Wesley verse. See the poetic verses pages for similar verses on plaques and a full transcription of the text. Again, none of these items is marked. The first jug below does, however, have typical Scott of Southwick flower decoration. Below is a different shaped jug with the same verse beginning 'How happy every child of grace...' (from the Charles Wesley hymn of that title). Next a selection of mugs. The first with the same verse as above. The last two with the verse beginning 'Even now by faith we join our hands...' (from the Charles Wesley hymn 'Let Us Join Our Friends Above'). And yes, as we might hope, these verses appear on the small rectangular plaques I've attributed to 'Southwick' in my previous blog post. They also appear on orange-bordered plaques with round corners (like the crude Wesley and Clarke in the previous post) attributed to Scott. P.S.Some more 'Southwick' Wesleys and a Clarke paired with Charles Wesley verses in the photos below. Click on the images to enlarge. The Clarke mug with the verse beginning 'O THAT I could my Lord receive...'. And thanks to Shauna Gregg at Sunderland Museum & Winter Gardens, Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums, for the following additional photos. The mug in the first three photos is attributed, by the museum, to Scott. The second mug is attributed to Ball's Deptford Pottery. This doesn't interfere with our attribution because, according to Baker, in November 1897 at an auction of Scott's effects, copper transfer plates were bought by Ball's. Ball's products tend to be crudely potted and poorly decorated, which certainly applies to some of the mugs above!
Happy New Year! Last week I noticed this mug on Aurea Carter's website. Though the mug is unmarked, the flower decoration, inside the rim and on the handle, is typical of Scott's Southwick Pottery (see Baker page 52 for a similar mug). However, Moore & Co's neighbouring pottery sometimes shared transfers with Scott, so I've called this transfer the 'Southwick' (rather than the 'Scott') Wesley. The 'Southwick' Wesley transfer on the mug matches that on the circular plaque beside it. Its defining features are: – doesn't say 'FOUNDER OF THE' in the title – only 5 prongs to Wesley's 'aura' on the right Below left are two 'loving cups' I found in the archived sales on Boldon Auction Galleries' website with the 'Southwick' Wesley. Although unmarked, they again have the typical Scott flower decoration inside and on the handle. Below right is a small rectangular plaque with the 'Southwick' Wesley transfer. Below left shows the reverse side of the loving cups, with the 'Southwick' Clarke transfer. It has a curvy undulating 'aura', distinguishable from the 'Dixon' Clarke by the height of its peaks, particularly at the bottom right. The white spaces between the peaks are longer and thinner. Below right is a small rectangular plaque with the 'Southwick' Clarke. Below is a later wide-bordered plaque (c1860) with the 'Southwick' Wesley. Somewhere there is likely a pair with the 'Southwick' Clarke. Finally, here are two later orange-bordered plaques (c1870s), of a kind associated with Scott's of Southwick. They have poor imprints of the 'Southwick' Wesley and Clarke. Perhaps someone out there has a bowl or jug marked 'Scott' with the above transfers. If so, please get in touch. I'd love to strengthen this attribution.
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AuthorStephen Smith lives in London, and is always happy to hear from other collectors. If you have an interesting collection of plaques, and are based in the UK, he will photograph them for you. Free advice given regarding selling and dispersal of a collection, or to those wishing to start one. Just get in touch... Archives
February 2022
AcknowledgementsThis website is indebted to collectors, dealers and enthusiasts who have shared their knowledge or photos. In particular: Ian Holmes, Stephen Duckworth, Dick Henrywood, Norman Lowe, Keith Lovell, Donald H Ryan, Harold Crowder, Jack and Joyce Cockerill, Myrna Schkolne, Elinor Penna, Ian Sharp, Shauna Gregg at the Sunderland Museum, Keith Bell, Martyn Edgell, and Liz Denton.
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