J. & G. Meakin
Encyclopedia
J. & G. Meakin was an English
pottery
manufacturing company founded in 1851 and based in Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent
, Staffordshire
.
, Canada
, New Zealand
and the United States
.
From around 1970, designs included Liberty, Sterling, Trend, Classic and Heirloom. Some of these were influenced from earlier designs. The newer wares can be distinguished by backstamp markings such as 'permanent colours' or 'dishwasher proof'.
J & G Meakin had close family and corporate affiliations to the pottery Johnson Brothers
, and Alfred Meakin, which explains why many patterns are similar, if not almost exactly the same.
The firm was taken over by the Wedgwood Group in 1970. In 2000 production under the Meakin name ceased and their long-established works, Eagle Pottery, was then used for the production of Johnson Bros pottery. Eagle Pottery closed in 2004 when production was transferred abroad in 2004; the works were demolished in 2005.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
pottery
Pottery
Pottery is the material from which the potteryware is made, of which major types include earthenware, stoneware and porcelain. The place where such wares are made is also called a pottery . Pottery also refers to the art or craft of the potter or the manufacture of pottery...
manufacturing company founded in 1851 and based in Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent
Stoke-on-Trent
Stoke-on-Trent , also called The Potteries is a city in Staffordshire, England, which forms a linear conurbation almost 12 miles long, with an area of . Together with the Borough of Newcastle-under-Lyme Stoke forms The Potteries Urban Area...
, Staffordshire
Staffordshire
Staffordshire is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. Part of the National Forest lies within its borders...
.
History
In the 19th century, J. & G. Meakin was known for the vast quantities of cheap ironstone china it produced for the domestic English market and for export to AustraliaAustralia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
From around 1970, designs included Liberty, Sterling, Trend, Classic and Heirloom. Some of these were influenced from earlier designs. The newer wares can be distinguished by backstamp markings such as 'permanent colours' or 'dishwasher proof'.
J & G Meakin had close family and corporate affiliations to the pottery Johnson Brothers
Johnson Brothers
Johnson Brothers, originally a British tableware manufacturer and exporter, was noted for its early introduction of "semi-porcelain" tableware. Some of its designs, "Dawn", "Old Britain Castles" and "Historic America", achieved widespread popularity and are still collected today...
, and Alfred Meakin, which explains why many patterns are similar, if not almost exactly the same.
The firm was taken over by the Wedgwood Group in 1970. In 2000 production under the Meakin name ceased and their long-established works, Eagle Pottery, was then used for the production of Johnson Bros pottery. Eagle Pottery closed in 2004 when production was transferred abroad in 2004; the works were demolished in 2005.