Dixon, Austin & Co
From notices in the London Gazette, we can improve on the dates given by Baker for the Dixon partnerships, as follows:
1807 to 1812, John Phillips
1813 to 1818, Dixon, Austin, Phillips & Co (marks would include Dixon & Co 1813, and Phillips & Co 1813)
1818 to 1839, Dixon, Austin & Co
1839 to 1865, Dixon, Phillips & Co
The earliest identifiable plaques belong to the Dixon, Austin & Co period. My research suggests that the Dixon, Phillips & Co impressed mark, surrounding anchor, was likely used 1839 to c1850. Click here to see plaques attributed to that later partnership.
1807 to 1812, John Phillips
1813 to 1818, Dixon, Austin, Phillips & Co (marks would include Dixon & Co 1813, and Phillips & Co 1813)
1818 to 1839, Dixon, Austin & Co
1839 to 1865, Dixon, Phillips & Co
The earliest identifiable plaques belong to the Dixon, Austin & Co period. My research suggests that the Dixon, Phillips & Co impressed mark, surrounding anchor, was likely used 1839 to c1850. Click here to see plaques attributed to that later partnership.
Black and yellow (from c1820s)
Most of these plaques are stamped 'Dixon, Austin, & Co', and measure 172–177mm in diameter. The last plaque above and the right plaque below are larger The impressed marks shown, are from the plaques to their left. The centre plaque on the third row above has a transfer of a man and a woman dancing in front of a church. The initials 'I E A' are hand painted.
Below are four finely decorated plaques. Although unmarked, they share decorative features, and similarities of inscription, with hand-painted plaques above. The first and third have very rare verses, and are likely unique.
Brown and yellow (from c1820s)
The first two plaques are 167 mm diameter, so 1 cm smaller than their black and yellow counterparts above. The third plaque is 173 mm diameter and the fourth is 175 mm. The last three plaques are larger (the last two are 182 mm diameter). The borders and hand-painted text of the third and fourth plaques, are matt over-glaze brown. The left plaque on the second row has the impressed mark 'Dixon, Austin, & Co'.
Perhaps decorated at North Hylton
A rare pink-lustre plaque with the Dixon, Austin & Co impress. Below, a plaque in a similar hand, c1830. These items were perhaps decorated at North Hylton (read more towards the end of this link).
Later plaques (c1830s)
The first plaque is 176 mm x 140 mm. The circular plaque is 182 mm diameter. The third (rectangular) plaques is 188 mm x 150 mm. They are attributed to the Dixon-Austin partnership (1818-1839), but most likely 1830s. The third plaque has an indistinct impress which could either be Dixon Austin & Co or Dixon Phillips & Co.
The two plaques above are transitional items. The first has the earlier (1820s) Dixon Austin transfer on an 1830s' plaque form. The second has the 'Dixon, Phillips & Co' impressed mark, which was used 1839–c1850. Both have faint and degraded transfers, suggesting they were made late in the life of their respective transfer plates.
John Wesley
The plate above (192 mm diameter) has the impressed mark 'Dixon, Austin, & Co'. Unlike most of the plaques below, these presumably earlier imprints of the transfer don't have the words 'THE BEST OF ALL GOD IS WITH US' around Wesley's head (see also the first plaque below). It appears the words were added to the transfer plate at a later date.
See the John Wesley page for the attributes of the 'Dixon' Wesley. The circular plaques are between 179 mm (centre left) and 184 mm (top right) diameter. The first rectangular plaque is 180 mm x 142 mm. The second is 176 mm x 140 mm. The third is 188 mm x 150 mm. Though none of the above is marked, they have exactly the same Wesley transfer as pink-bordered plaques marked 'Dixon, Phillips & Co' and 'Dixon Co'. The moulds, decoration and colour palette of the first two rows of these plaques are identical to the 'Prepare to Meet Thy God' plaques above. The hand-written text on the circular Wesley plaques appears on earlier Dixon 'Prepare' plaques (see above). These Wesley transfers can be found with or without the banner 'THOU GOD SEEST ME', which was applied separately, likely from a different transfer plate.
Adam Clarke
See the Adam Clarke page to read about the attributes of the 'Dixon' Clarke transfer. The first rectangular plaque is 180 mm x 142 mm. The second is 176 mm x 140 mm. The third is 187 mm x 148 mm. The circular plaques are circa 182 mm diameter. Though none of the above is marked, they have exactly the same Clarke transfer as pink-bordered plaques marked 'Dixon, Phillips & Co' and 'Dixon Co'. The moulds, decoration and colour palette are identical to the three 'Prepare to Meet Thy God' plaques above. Clarke transfers can be found with or without the banner 'THOU GOD SEEST ME', which was applied separately, likely from a different transfer plate.
These plaques were made post 1832 to commemorate Clarke's death.
These plaques were made post 1832 to commemorate Clarke's death.
Scripture verses
The two rectangular plaques are 180 mm x 143 mm. The circular plaques are 183 mm diameter. Though unmarked, the plaques above share the same transfers as pink-lustre plaques with 'Dixon, Phillips & Co' and 'Dixon Co' impressed marks. Click on the Prepare to meet thy god and Thou god seest me pages for more detail.
The three circular plaques above are 182 mm diameter. Although all the plaques above are unmarked, they share the same transfers as pink-lustre plaques with 'Dixon, Phillips & Co' and 'Dixon Co' impressed marks. Click on the Behold god... and For man dieth... pages for more information.
It seems likely that the four verse transfers above come from the same copper transfer plate, with multiple verses engraved on it. The plate passed from Dixon to Scott when the Garrison Pottery closed in 1865.
It seems likely that the four verse transfers above come from the same copper transfer plate, with multiple verses engraved on it. The plate passed from Dixon to Scott when the Garrison Pottery closed in 1865.
Poetic verses
The rectangular plaques are 180 mm x 143 mm. Transcriptions of the verses can be found on the Poetic verses page.
Tee Total Society
The circular plaque is 181 mm diameter. The right rectangular plaque is 187 mm x 149 mm. These three plaques share the same Tee Total Society transfer. Click here to read more.
Bridge plaque
The above plaque is 177 mm in diameter. It has a printed mark under the transfer, 'Dixon & Co, Sunderland'. There is a hand-painted date of 1835.