T. & R. Boote

Thomas Latham and Richard Boote potted in Burslem and appear in directories at the Waterloo Pottery from 1850 through to 1892. The firm became a limited liabilty company in 1894 and went on to beccome a major manufacturer of tiles. Godden gives their start date as 1842. They finally closed in 1963.

The Bootes produced relatively few relief-moulded jugs including two designs registered in 1848 and 1859, but are particularly noted for Richard Boote's patent of 1843 for "Improvements in Pottery and Mosaic Work". It covered four different processes including one for manufacturing wares with coloured grounds, and another for inlaying designs into the ware's surface. The latter was used extensively by Boote, and by some others, and two fairly typical examples are shown here. They occur with differing designs and in various colours but are not relief-moulded so are outside the scope of this website. They explain the phrase "Patent Mosaic" which appears in the Bootes' marks and others by Cork & Edge, albeit used rather inappropriately on purely moulded wares. Also the word "Patent" used by Samuel Alcock & Co. on their moulded jugs, many of which have coloured grounds or moulding, presumably achieved using Richard Boote's patent.

None of the Bootes' six known relief-moulded jugs are titled. They are listed below in alphabetical order, with the exception of the Atlantic jug, no details of which are yet available. The seventh entry below (Ranger) is included for completeness although no marked Boote example is known.

Hops and Barley Barrel (not titled) Design not registered. Marks: printed royal arms, sometimes with maker's name beneath Illustrations: Henrywood BJ/458
Portland Vase (not titled) Design not registered. Marks: printed royal arms with "PATENT MOSAIC" above and maker's name beneath
Ranger (title unconfirmed) Design registered on 10 May 1845, Parcel 3, Number 27482, jointly by Walley of Cobridge and T. & R. Boote of Burslem. No marked example by Boote has yet been recorded (the Walley version can be seen here).
Resting Cherub (not titled) Design not registered. The same design was made by Cork & Edge. Marks: printed royal arms with maker's name beneath
Robert Peel (not titled) Design not registered. Marks: printed vignette with lengthy eulogy, "PATENT MOSAIC" and maker's name beneath Illustrations: Henrywood BJ/457; Hughes 1/85; Rumsey 228
Samuel and Eli (not titled) Design registered on 17 October 1848, Parcel 3, Number 54901, by T. & R. Boote of Burslem. Marks: printed registration diamond or printed royal arms (with or without maker's name), sometimes both Illustrations: Henrywood RMJ/217-20; Hughes 1/78; Rumsey 209-10; Wakefield Plate 14 The source for the main figure group has been identified as a painting by John Singleton Copley "Samuel Relating to Eli the Judgment of God upon Eli's House" (now in the Wadsworth Atheneum). The jug modeller would have worked from an engraving, not the original painting.
Atlantic (not titled) Design registered on 21 March 1859, Parcel 7. Number 118891, by T. & R. Boote of Burslem. Marks: not yet known Illustrations: Hughes 2/p.101

Credits: Max Beaumont Fine Art & Consultancy; Stefan Meigh; Marissa Royer; Dreweatt-Neate, Newbury; Wadsworth Atheneum, Hartford, Connecticut; Gildings Auctioneers Ltd, Market Harborough