The Transferware Patterns of William Smith & Co.

Dick Henrywood

William Smith operated the Stafford Pottery at Stockton-on-Tees in Yorkshire from c.1825 to 1855. The firm produced large quantities of transfer-printed ware and had a significant market across the North Sea in Belgium, Holland and Germany. The output was wide-ranging but teawares seem to have predominated. They were quite prolific in the introduction of new patterns over the years, many of which were marked with a title and/or a pattern number. No pattern book is known to have survived, so the following list of pattern numbers has been assembled from surviving examples. The list is clearly incomplete in many ways, and any additional information would be welcome. All images have been chosen for clarity and the marks may not necessarily be from the examples shown. I would be particularly grateful for better images and/or good images to fill the gaps of those illustrated below. You can contact me here.

3. Not titled (Tea Drinker) Teawares. A variant of the popular Tea Party pattern. The title was used on wares made at the Belgian factory. The printed mark includes "Stafford Pottery".		5. "Gondola" Teawares.
7. "Turkish Pavilion" Teawares. Pattern number and title confirmed. The pattern number does not always appear in the mark.		8. Not titled (White Horse) Teawares. The printed mark includes “Tees Pottery”.
9. Not titled (Girls with Dog) Teawares. The printed mark includes "Stafford Pottery".		10. Not titled (Music) Teawares. A book within the design is titled "Music". The printed mark includes "Stafford Pottery".
12. Not titled (Water Girl) Teawares. Pattern number confirmed. The printed mark includes "Stafford Pottery".		14. Not titled (Willow pattern) Dinner wares. The standard design produced by very many potteries. The title "Willow" was used on wares made at the Belgian factory. The printed mark includes "Stafford" and "Stone China".
15. Not titled (Wild Rose) Dinner wares. The standard design depicting Nuneham Courtenay produced by many pottery manufacturers. The printed mark is the same form as for pattern 14 (Willow). d.		16. "Antwarp" [sic] Dinner and dessert wares; toilet wares. The printed mark does not normally feature the title but includes "Stafford Pottery".
18. Not titled Teawares. The printed mark includes "Stafford Pottery". There is a pattern number conflict with "Lion Antique" (see right).		18. "Lion Antique" Teawares. There is a pattern number conflict with another "No.18" (see left). This pattern was also made in Belgium where it was titled simply "Lion" (see below).
21. "Dresden Vignette" Teawares. Two different marks are known, one omitting the title.		22. Not titled Teawares. The printed mark includes "WEDGEWOOD POTTERY".
25. Not titled Tea wares; also jug washed overall in pink lustre.		30. "Coral Border" Dinner wares. The pattern number does not always appear in the mark.
31. Not titled (Bird on a Branch) Dinner wares. The printed mark includes "Stafford" and "Stone China". Some examples bear no pattern number and others have the early castle and anchor mark.
33. "Antelope" Plate. Note the number conflict with the "Neapolitan" pattern. The same pattern is recorded marked "Jacksons Warranted".		33. "Neapolitan" Plate. Note the number conflict with the "Antelope" pattern. The plate illustrated has an impressed mark for the Belgian factory, but the pattern presumably originated in Stockton. .
34. "Batavia" Jug printed with scenic views washed overall in pink lustre. Pattern number and title not confirmed. Images needed.		38. "Indian Sports" Teawares, money box. Title and pattern number confirmed. The pattern was also made in Belgium (see below).
41. "Athens" Dinner wares. The pattern is the same as the design by the same title made by Rogers. Possibly Smith may have acquired copper plates when the Rogers firm ended c.1842?		42. Not titled (Fountain) Toilet wares.
43. "Haerlem" Teawares.		44. "Orphans" Teawares. The pattern was also made in Belgium (see below).
45. Not titled Teawares.		46. "Select Views" Dinner and dessert wares, toilet wares. A series of romantic scenes.
48. "Doves" Teawares. The printed mark includes "WEDGEWOOD POTTERY".		56. Not titled Teawares. Plates.
57. Not titled Teawares.		59. "Warbler" The pattern was also made in Belgium (see below). Images needed.
63. "Reapers" Teawares		64. "Fountain" Teawares. The pattern was also made in Belgium (see below).
65. "Napoleon" Plates, children's plates, toilet wares. Two different borders. A different "Napoleon" series was produced in Belgium (see below).		66. "Syrian Flowers" Toilet wares.
70. "Victoria" Teawares.		71. "Tourist" Dinner and dessert wares. Examples without any pattern number are common (see below).
73. "Sultana" Teawares; smoker's set.
75. "Tally-Ho!" Teawares.		76. "Armorial" Toilet wares.
77. "Cupid" Teawares. Money box.		78. "Jasmine" Teawares.
80. "Bacchus" Teawares.		83. "Garland" Teawares.
85. "Manchester" Teawares. Sheet pattern.		86. "Rosette" Money box. Pattern number and title confirmed. Images needed.
87. "Olive" Teawares.		91. "Romania" Teawares.
92. "Tyrian" Dinner wares.		95. "Macaw" Children's plates. A series of central designs.
96. "Pastimes" Children's plates. See also pattern numbers 100 and 101.		97. "Tessala" Tea or dessert wares. The title uses the archaic form "fs" for "ss".
98. "Chinese" Teawares.		99. "Buy a Broom" Teawares.
100. "Pastimes" Children's plates. See also pattern numbers 96 and 101.		101. "Pastimes" Children's plates. See also pattern numbers 96 and 100.
103. Not titled (Baronial Halls) Plates, plaques. Multicolour-printed scenes, some signed "Toft & Austin Sc.". Various printed or moulded borders.		107. Not titled (Ferns) Teawares; plates.
118. "Chinese Temple" Teawares.		119. Not titled Teawares. Sheet floral pattern..
121. Not titled (Swing) Teawares.
124. "Blenheim" Teawares.		126. "Bud" Teawares. .
No Number. "Actinie" Dessert wares. The pattern was also made in Belgium where the maker's name with "& Cie." appears added to the mark (see below). Image of mark needed.		No number. "Allegory" Plates. The mark shown here is unclear but appears to read "W. Smith & Cie." rather than "& Co.", so could be a product of the Belgian factory.
No number. "Angling" Toilet wares.		No number. "Fruit Basket" Dinner and dessert wares.
No number. German Text Children's plates. A series of childhood scenes titled in German, found with at least two different moulded borders. This one is titled "Der Fleiß".		No number. German Text Children's plates. A series of childhood scenes titled in German, found with at least two different moulded borders. This one is titled "Die Dertelung".
No number. German Text Children's plates. A series of childhood scenes titled in German, found with at least two different moulded borders. This one is titled "Die Frucht Schnittern".		No number. German Text Children's plates. A series of childhood scenes titled in German, found with at least two different moulded borders. This one is titled "Der Blinde Wilhelm".
No number. German Text Children's plates. A series of childhood scenes titled in German, found with at least two different moulded borders. This one is titled "Das Jugendlich Vergnügen".
No number. "Infant Sports" Teawares.
No number. "Oriental" Teawares. "Oriental China" may be just a trade name. The title "Indian Figure" is known on a shard of the same pattern excavated by George Haggarty at the Rathbone site in Portobello.		No Number. "Palace" Dinner wares. The printed mark on the plate shown refers to the Belgian company, but it bears the usual English impressed mark "W.S.& Co.'s / WEDGEWOOD"
No Number. "Paul and Virginia" Childrens' plates. The series is covered in detail in Volume Four of The Transferware Recorder.		No number. "Spoorweg" Teawares. A view identified as the Euston Arch. Although included here under William Smith, it is thought the pattern may belong to Carr & Patton of the Low Lights Pottery in North Shields. They used the impressed mark "VEDGWOOD", possibly never used by Smith.
No number. Tea Party (not titled) Teawares. A popular pattern used by several other potters.		No number. "Tourist" Dinner wares. A series of romantic scenes. See also pattern number 71 above.

Related Wares made in Belgium by J.B. Cappellemans Ainé / W. Smith & Cie. of Bruxelles:

The patterns shown here are clearly marked with the Cappellemans/Smith partnership name. This is not a complete record of the wares made in Belgium but features patterns clearly related to English versions listed above.

"Actinie" Dinner wares. Note "& Cie." in the mark. The pattern was also made in Britain where the maker's name does not appear; there is no pattern number (see above).		"Bouquets" Teawares.
"Fountain" Teawares. The pattern was also made in Britain, see pattern number 64 above.		"Indian Sports" Teawares. The pattern was also made in Britain, see pattern number 38 above.
"Lion" Teawares. The pattern was also made in Britain where it was titled "Lion Antique", see pattern number 18 above.		"Napoleon" Teawares. A different "Napoleon" series was produced in England, see pattern number 65 above.
"Orphans" Teawares. The pattern was also made in Britain, see pattern number 44 above.		"Tea Drinker" Teawares. The pattern was also made in Britain but untitled, see pattern number 3 above.
"Warbler" Plates. The pattern was also made in Britain, see pattern number 59 above.		"Willow" Dinner wares.. This very common pattern was also made in Britain but untitled, see pattern number 14 above.

W. Smith Jr. & Co.

Although not directly related to wares from the Stafford Pottery which was in Yorkshire, William Smith's son potted across the river at the North Shore Pottery in Durham. There should be liitle confusion since printed marks are clear with the adjunct Jr. included in the maker's initials. The firm was succeeded by George F. Smith who reissued wares printed with the earlier Boyle "Antique Scenery" series of views.

"Flora" Cup plates.

With thanks to everyone who has contributed information, and particularly for images included above:
Cristel Aarts; E. Bakker; Tomasz Cymbalak; Johan Feyaerts; Jaap Flikweert; George Haggarty; Robert Hawker; Geoffrey Jackson; Cathy Jordan; Irene Keim; Tony Kingston; Cuno Koopstra; Heather Macmillan; Richard Maskell; Steve Millington; Chris Norris; Jaap Otte; Alan Peat; Connie Rogers; Tara Saunders; Myrna Schkolne; Wytze Stellingwerf; Carolyn Stoddart-Scott; Linda Van Assch; Vanessa Van de Wiele; Jakob Vandenberghe; Linda Woodhouse. Also the Transferware Collectors' Club for allowing me to use some of their database images to fill gaps.

Page created 16 May 2020. Last updated 19 November 2024.

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