William Adams (potter)
Encyclopedia
William Adams was an English potter
, a maker of fine jasperware
at the time of its development and introduction to the English market.
, Staffordshire
, the son of a potter. Born after the death of his father, he was raised by his grandfather, also a potter, who, according to the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, placed him as an apprentice with John Brindley (brother of James Brindley
, notable as a pioneer of canals). Other sources make him a "favourite pupil" of Josiah Wedgwood
.
Adams was one of three north Staffordshire
William Adamses who were potters working at the time: all were cousins in an extended Adams family of potters of very many generations. This Adams founded the Greengates Pottery in 1779, producing fine jasperware table sets, plaques, medallions and other products stamped Adams & Co. He is said to have been a friend and confidant of Josiah Wedgwood.
Some 300 of his works have been identified, but he is nowadays mainly known only to those with an interest in 18th century English ceramics.
Adams died in 1805, and his prosperous business was taken over by his younger son Benjamin; the business closed in 1820 in part due to Benjamin's ill health and was sold in 1826 to John Meir, but in 1897 was sold back to another branch of the Adams family, and was finally absorbed into the Wedgwood Group
in 1966.
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...
, a maker of fine jasperware
Jasperware
Jasperware, or jasper ware, is a type of stoneware first developed by Josiah Wedgwood, although some authorities have described it as a type of porcelain...
at the time of its development and introduction to the English market.
Biography
Adams was baptised in TunstallTunstall, Staffordshire
Tunstall is an area in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England. It was one of the original six towns that federated to form the city. Tunstall is the most northern town of the city of Stoke-on-Trent....
, 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...
, the son of a potter. Born after the death of his father, he was raised by his grandfather, also a potter, who, according to the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, placed him as an apprentice with John Brindley (brother of James Brindley
James Brindley
James Brindley was an English engineer. He was born in Tunstead, Derbyshire, and lived much of his life in Leek, Staffordshire, becoming one of the most notable engineers of the 18th century.-Early life:...
, notable as a pioneer of canals). Other sources make him a "favourite pupil" of Josiah Wedgwood
Josiah Wedgwood
Josiah Wedgwood was an English potter, founder of the Wedgwood company, credited with the industrialization of the manufacture of pottery. A prominent abolitionist, Wedgwood is remembered for his "Am I Not A Man And A Brother?" anti-slavery medallion. He was a member of the Darwin–Wedgwood family...
.
Adams was one of three north 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...
William Adamses who were potters working at the time: all were cousins in an extended Adams family of potters of very many generations. This Adams founded the Greengates Pottery in 1779, producing fine jasperware table sets, plaques, medallions and other products stamped Adams & Co. He is said to have been a friend and confidant of Josiah Wedgwood.
Some 300 of his works have been identified, but he is nowadays mainly known only to those with an interest in 18th century English ceramics.
Adams died in 1805, and his prosperous business was taken over by his younger son Benjamin; the business closed in 1820 in part due to Benjamin's ill health and was sold in 1826 to John Meir, but in 1897 was sold back to another branch of the Adams family, and was finally absorbed into the Wedgwood Group
Wedgwood
Wedgwood, strictly speaking Josiah Wedgwood and Sons, is a pottery firm owned by KPS Capital Partners, a private equity company based in New York City, USA. Wedgwood was founded on May 1, 1759 by Josiah Wedgwood and in 1987 merged with Waterford Crystal to create Waterford Wedgwood, an...
in 1966.
External links
- William Turner, William Adams, an old English potter, Chapman & Hall 1904, from the Internet Archive