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John & William Ridgway
William Ridgway & Co.
William Ridgway, Son & Co.
Ridgway & Abington
E.J. Ridgway (& Son)

The history of the various Ridgway firms is complex and not covered in any detail here. Basically the brothers John and William Ridgway succeeded their father Job Ridgway but went their separate ways after 1830. John Ridgway does not appear to have produced any relief-moulded jugs but William was prolific. William Ridgway & Co. became William Ridgway, Son & Co, and then Ridgway & Abington from about 1850. They were succeeded by the son E.J. Ridgway alone who appears in directories between 1861 and 1870.

John & William Ridgway made many sprigged stonewares, frequently marked with a distinctive small pad mark featuring a pattern number. Amongst such wares is just one relief-moulded jug:

Rosette (not titled)
Design not published. In jug form it is pattern numbers 471 to 474 or 482, although the same overall design of daisy heads is found on other wares such as candlesticks, butter tubs, honey pots, desk stands, etc. and the numbers are sometimes duplicated. It was a popular design and the jugs were copied by the Don Pottery with the word "DON" replacing the number in the pad mark.
Marks: applied pad mark
Illustrations: Griffin 161; Henrywood BJ/282 (pad mark); Hughes 2/26; Rumsey 88

  

Most of the William Ridgway and Ridgway & Abington jugs can be dated in that they either appear in the early pattern book or were published or registered. The following list is in approximate date order, followed by separate lists of jugs that are not dated, and then jugs known with the 1835 impressed publication mark:

Pan (not titled)
Design not published. It appears as numbers one (buff) and eighteen (blue) in the William Ridgway pattern book.
Marks: moulded urn and anchor mark
Illustrations: Henrywood RMJ/40-41; Hughes 1/14; Hughes 2/233c; Rumsey 1-3

Animal Hunting (not titled)
Design not published. It appears as numbers two (buff) and twenty-five (blue) in the William Ridgway pattern book.
Marks: Moulded urn and anchor mark (also known with 1835 publication mark)
Illustrations: Henrywood RMJ/42 and Colour Plate I; Hughes 1/24

A similar jug was made earlier by Phillips & Bagster although the animal designs are different. Both designs were possibly the work of the modeller Leonard James Abington.

    
Acorns and Berries (not titled)
Design not published. It appears as numbers three (buff), twenty-four (blue) and twenty-six (blue with gilding) in the William Ridgway pattern book.
Marks: no marks yet recorded
Illustrations: Henrywood RMJ/43; Hughes 2/34
Arabesque and Vines (not titled)
Design not published. It appears as numbers four (buff) and twenty-three (blue) in the William Ridgway pattern book.
Marks: impressed “RIDGWAY SON & Co. / HANLEY”
Illustrations: Henrywood BJ/368; Henrywood RMJ/44; Hughes 2/25
Warwick Vase (not titled)
Design not published. Although not shown as a jug, the design appears in the William Ridgway pattern book in the forms of a vase and a teapot (numbers five, six, nineteen and twenty).
Marks: no marks yet recorded
Illustrations: Hughes 1/205j (teapot)

John Gilpin (not titled)
Design not published. It appears as numbers twelve (buff) and seventeen (blue) in the William Ridgway pattern book.
Marks: moulded urn and anchor mark
Illustrations: Henrywood RMJ/45; Hughes 1/25

The source is an engraving by William Henry Worthington after Thomas Stothard, dated 1 January 1825

Pompeii Shape (not titled)
Design not published. Hughes calls it Simplicity. The shape is often found with enamelled decoration and several examples appear in the William Ridgway pattern book as numbers 33, 45, 62, 149, 150, 153, 154, 158,159,160, 164  and 171.
Marks: moulded urn and anchor mark
Illustrations: Hughes 1/117

  

Hexagonal (not titled)
Design not published. This design does not appear in the William Ridgway pattern book but can be placed in sequence here since it bears the early moulded mark. A similar design did appear in an earlier pattern book used at the Bell Works.
Marks: moulded urn and anchor mark
Illustrations: Henrywood BJ/369

  

Stylised Flower Stalks (not titled)
Design not published. This design does not appear in the William Ridgway pattern book but can be placed in sequence here since it bears the early moulded mark. Again, a similar design did appear in an earlier pattern book used at the Bell Works.
Marks: moulded urn and anchor mark
Illustrations: Henrywood BJ/370

Tam O'Shanter (not titled)
Design published 1 October 1835. A variant was issued with the scenes replaced with linenfold panelling (see below). The shape is also found with enamelled decoration instead of the moulding, pattern numbers known including 906 and 954. The Tam O'Shanter jug must have been hugely popular since it has survived in large numbers. It was copied by David Crowe at Montrose, and probably others.
Marks: impressed “Published by / W. RIDGWAY & Co. / HANLEY, / October 1, 1835”
Illustrations: Henrywood RMJ/46-48, 50 and Colour Plate II; Hughes 1/26; Rumsey 159-62; Wakefield Plate 13
Linenfold (not titled)
This design is a variant of Tam O'Shanter (above) with the scenes replaced with linenfold panelling.
Marks: impressed “Published by / W. RIDGWAY & Co. / HANLEY, / October 1 1835”
Illustrations: Henrywood RMJ/49-50 and Colour Plate II; Hughes 1/28		  

Eglinton (not titled)
Design published 1 September 1840. Known fitted with a matching ceramic cover.
Marks: impressed “Published by / W. RIDGWAY SON & Co. / HANLEY / September 1, 1840” (McAuliffe also records an impressed mark for the London China, Glass and Earthenware dealer Lawrence Dorgan)
Illustrations: Henrywood RMJ/51 and Colour Plate III; Hughes 1/40; Rumsey 221-23; Wakefield Plate 16

Enigma (not titled)
Design not published or registered. A turned body with no ornamentaion but a lobed rim and fitted with moulded spout and handle.
Marks: impressed “RIDGWAY SON & Co.”

  
Barrel (not titled)
Design not published or registered.
Marks: impressed “W. RIDGWAY, SON & Co. / HANLEY”
Illustrations: Hughes 1/68

A very similar jug with added grapevine sprigging and a different handle was made by Minton (model 159)

  

Alhambra (not titled)
Design not published or registered. An engraving appeared in the Art-Union for May 1845. The same basic design also appears on a low teapot and matching sugar box.
Marks: impressed “RIDGWAY SON & Co.” (uncommon)
Illustrations: Henrywood BJ/372; Henrywood RMJ/66; Hughes 2/97; Rumsey 98

Vines in Framework (not titled)
Design registered 16 July 1846, Parcel 1, Number 36167, by Ridgway, Son & Co. of Hanley. The design was illustrated in the Art-Union for December 1846 under Ridgeway & Abington [sic].
Marks: impressed registration diamond
Illustrations: Henrywood RMJ/52-53; Rumsey 47

  
Tree Trunk (not titled)
Design registered 3 December 1846, Parcel 4, Number 38606, by Ridgway & Abington of Hanley.
Marks: moulded registration diamond
Illustrations: Henrywood RMJ/54; Hughes 2/55; Wakefield Plate 22
Harvest (not titled)
Design registered 7 March 1848, Parcel 1, Number 50635 or 50636, by Ridgway & Abington of Hanley.
Marks: moulded registration diamond, also sometimes impressed trade name "ALBA" (attributed to E.J. Ridgway)
Illustrations: Henrywood RMJ/55; Hughes 1/77; Rumsey 53

  
"Bulrush"
Design registered 7 March 1848, Parcel 1, Number 50635 or 50636, by Ridgway & Abington of Hanley.
Marks: moulded registration diamond, also sometimes impressed title "BULRUSH"
Illustrations: Henrywood RMJ/56; Hughes 1/76 and 205d; Rumsey 48-51; Wakefield Figure 7 (engraving from Journal of Design and Manufactures, 1849)		  

"Sylvan"
Design registered 16 February 1849, Parcel 11, Number 58474, by Ridgway & Abington of Hanley.
Marks: moulded registration diamond, also sometimes impressed title "SYLVAN"
Illustrations: Henrywood RMJ/57; Hughes 1/81; Rumsey 59-60

  
Nineveh (not titled)
Design registered 16 August 1851, Parcel 2, Number 80184, by Ridgway & Abington of Hanley.
Marks: moulded registration diamond
Illustrations: Henrywood BJ/371; Henrywood RMJ/58-59; Hughes 1/104; Rumsey 229

The source has been identified as engravings in Layard’s A Popular Account of the Discoveries at Nineveh (1851).

"Willie" (not titled)
Design registered 21 October 1851, Parcel 3, Number 81057, by William Ridgway of Shelton. This jug was never made by Ridgway but examples are marked with initials J.W.P. & Co. for J.W. Pankhurst & Co. (qv).		    

Uncle Tom's Cabin (not titled)
Design published 1 January 1853.
Marks: moulded publication mark "Published by / E. RIDGWAY & ABINGTON/ HANLEY / January 1, 1853"
Illustrations: Hughes 1/112; Rumsey 168-69

    
Dunmow Flitch (not titled)
Design published 1 January 1855.
Marks: moulded publication mark “Published by / E. RIDGWAY & ABINGTON, / HANLEY, / January 1, 1855”
Illustrations: Henrywood RMJ/60-61; Hughes 1/120

Three Soldiers (not titled)
Design published 1 August 1855.
Marks: moulded publication mark “Published by / E. RIDGWAY & ABINGTON, / HANLEY, / August 1, 1855”
Illustrations: Henrywood RMJ/60 and 62; Hughes 1/121; Rumsey 233-35
John Barleycorn (not titled)
Design registered 18 April 1856, Parcel 7, Number 104397, by Ridgway & Abington of Hanley. It was also used on a cheese dish (see Hughes 2).
Marks: moulded registration diamond
Illustrations: Henrywood RMJ/63; Hughes 1/133; Hughes 2/222h		  
Fuchsia (not titled)
Design registered 14 October 1857, Parcel 1, Number 111585, by Ridgway & Abington of Hanley.
Marks: moulded registration diamond
Illustrations: Henrywood RMJ/64; Hughes 1/136; Rumsey 73-75		  
Moses (not titled)
Design published 1 January 1858.
Marks: moulded publication mark “Published by / E. RIDGWAY & ABINGTON, / HANLEY, / January 1, 1858”.
Illustrations: Henrywood RMJ/65; Hughes 2/118; Rumsey 216		  
Bamboo (not titled)
Design registered 7 October 1858, Parcel 1, Number 115953, by Ridgway & Abington of Hanley.
Marks: Moulded registration diamond; also known with impressed 1835 publication mark with either "Hanley" or "England"
Illustrations: Hughes 2/22		  
Not Titled (not titled)
Design registered 4 July 1867, Parcel 5, Number 209362, by E.J. Ridgway of Hanley.
Marks: ???
Illustrations: ???

    

The following jugs are not usually marked so have no known factory dates, but other evidence supports attributions to William Ridgway, Son & Co., Ridgway & Abington or E.J. Ridgway:

Acanthus (not titled)
Design not published or registered. An engraving appeared in the Art-Journal for May 1852.
Marks: none yet recorded
Illustrations: Henrywood RMJ/67; Hughes 2/72

"Regalia"
Design not registered. Most examples are unmarked but the blue jug shown here has an impressed title whereas the white jug with carmine highlights has an impressed trade name associated with E.J. Ridgway and a painted pattern number consistent with the same maker.
Marks: impressed title "REGALIA" or impressed trade name "ALBA" (both uncommon)
Illustrations: Hughes 2/206

Regailia

Regalia  Regalia

 Regalia Regalia
Stylised Vine(not titled)
Design not published or registered. The pink ground jug illustrated here has an impressed body name known to belong to E.J. Ridgway.
Marks: impressed name "ALBA" (uncommon)
Illustrations: Hughes 1/143; Rumsey 83		  
Swans (not titled)
Design not published or registered. An engraving appeared in the Art-Journal for May 1852. The design was copied by Robert Heron at the Fife Pottery, Kirkcaldy.
Marks: none yet recorded
Illustrations: Henrywood RMJ/68-69; Hughes 1/98; Rumsey 145-46
Vine (not titled)
Design not published or registered. This design appears amongst the Cork & Edge exhibits in the 1855 Paris Exhibition catalogue. Examples are known printed in flow-blue with a pattern titled “Sloe Blossom”. The jug design, printed with a different sheet pattern, was shown at the Birmingham Exhibition of Manufactures and Art (Art-Journal, October 1849)
Marks: none yet recorded
Illustrations: Henrywood RMJ/228; Rumsey 76		  

 

The following designs are found with the impressed 1835 publication mark of William Ridgway & Co. but they are all later jugs, the mark being used on designs into the 20th century. Later versions of the mark have "ENGLAND" in place of "HANLEY".

Foliate Scrolls (not titled)
Design not published or registered. An alternative title Chrysanthemum is sometimes used.
Marks: impressed publication mark “PUBLISHED BY / W. RIDGWAY & Co. / ENGLAND / Oct. 1ST, 1835”
Illustrations: Hughes 1/146; Rumsey 80-81

  
Ferns and Bellflowers (not titled)
Design not published or registered. Hughes calls it Foxglove and Fern.
Marks: impressed publication mark “Published by / W. RIDGWAY & Co. / HANLEY / October 1 1835”.
Illustrations: Hughes 2/190

  

Hexagonal Honeysuckle (not titled)
Design not published or registered. Marks: impressed publication mark “Published by / W. RIDGWAY & Co. / HANLEY, / October 1, 1835”.
Illustrations: none



Stylised Scroll Panels (not titled)
Design not published or registered. Hughes calls it Acanthus.
Marks: impressed publication mark “Published by / W. RIDGWAY & Co. / HANLEY / October 1, 1835”
Illustrations: Hughes 2/136

 

Credits: Max Beaumont Fine Art & Consultancy; Susan Blatt; Ken Carter; Kay Davies; the late Geoffrey Godden; Angela Grant; the collection of Robert Griesbach; Dick Henrywood; Guy Loveday; Jim McAuliffe; Elaine McCormack Bunney; Paul Rosenberg (Moorabool Antique Galleries); Paul Walther; Piddle Crick Hill Mercantile; Dreweatt-Neate, Newbury