Commercial Overprint Society of Great Britain

Vol. 2 No. 8; February 1, 2005

Stoke-on-Trent

by Michael Behm

Stoke-on-Trent is made up of six separate towns: Tunstall, Burslem, Hanley (the City Centre), Stoke, Fenton, and Longton. In 1910 the towns joined to form the County Borough of Stoke-on-Trent.

Known from the 13th century as an area rich in clay and coal, Stoke-on-Trent forms the bulk of the area known as the Potteries. By the middle of the 15th century, potters were active in this area. In the 18th century, Josiah Wedgwood was born in Burslem, Staffordshire and joined his father's pottery works at the age of 9. By 1762 he had formed his own pottery works and within a few years was the supplier of the royal dinnerware.

The pottery industry continued to develop; both through local innovation in pottery materials and techniques, as well as through the development of transportation systems in the area—notably turnpike roads and canals to the Trent and Mersey rivers. By 1800, this area was the leading center of pottery production for the world.

This success came with a price: in 1840 the House of Commons set up a commission to inquire into the state of children employed in the mines and factories—including the factories of the Potteries. However, it was not until 1898 that laws were made to keep children under the age of 14 out of the more dangerous areas of the factories. The following year, restrictions were placed on the amount of lead in glazes, but lead glazes were not banned completely until 1949.

The pottery was fired in coal-burning "bottle kilns." In 1938 there were 2,000 such kilns—or roughly 1 kiln for every 120 people. Needless to say, that amount of coal burning caused terrible pollution and lung disease. "It was not uncommon for the sun to be virtually blacked out by the smoke. Many people remember walking the streets and not being able to see their companions next to them."

After the Clean Air Act of 1953, the number of bottle kilns fell to 438 in 1958 and to 0 by 1965, having been replaced by gas or electric kilns. The Clean Air Act and the closing of a local steel works in 2000 have done much to improve the environment.

As you might expect from a local government that was established relatively recently, there are only a few patterns associated with Stoke-on-Trent.

PatternStyle357
For the
Corporation
of
Stoke-on-Trent 		O
PatternStyle 421465488506518
For the Corporation
of Stoke-on-Trent 		O O X X X
PatternStyle 543543b573 590613a726727
For the Corporation
of Stoke-on-Trent
(rounder letters) 		O O X O O O O
PatternStyle421
Stoke-on-Trent
Rates 		O

Send comments or questions to mjbehm@kw.igs.net