Pilkington's Pottery Co
of Clifton Junction Works, nr Manchester
1889 the Clifton and Kersley Coal Co sank a pair of pit shafts with the intention of working the coal seams lying adjacent to the geological feature known as the Pendleton fault. The work was made increasingly difficult by the amount of clay encountered and it became clear that the project would not produce coal. The owners, Alfred, Charles, Lawrence and Edward Pilkington, decided to use the marl that had been encountered to make white and coloured glazed bricks.
By a fortunate chance the secretary of the company knew William Burton, a chemist working for Josiah Wedgwood & Co. Mr. Burton undertook to make tests of the marl and suggested that a more commercial venture would be to make tiles. The use of decorative tiles was becoming quite fashionable and there was a high demand for them in the growing city of Manchester. (In fact the clay was not suitable for this purpose. In the end the clay was only used to make saggars to contain pottery during firing and a small volume of floor tiles.)
1891 The company was formed, a maker and dealer in bricks, tiles, pipes, pottery ware. The site of the proposed factory had many natural advantages - adjacent to a canal, close to a railway station and there was abundant coal nearby.
William Burton was in his late twenties when he became the Manager of the new company. However, he was under contract to Wedgwood until October 1892. He suggested that the company should appoint his younger brother Joseph, also a qualified chemist. Joseph's contract was dated December 1891 and Joseph became the "eyes and ears" for his brother. William did not move to Clifton until well into 1893.
1892 Name changed to Pilkington's Tile and Pottery Co
1938 Name changed to Pilkington's Tiles Ltd
See Also
Sources of Information
- The Times, Mar 21, 1950
- [1] History