Wedgwood is ‘pausing production’ at its North Staffordshire factory. Pottery will not be produced at Wedgwood’s Barlaston factory between September 29th 2025 and January 5th 2026.
Wedgwood Factory Tours have also been cancelled between these dates.
The decision has been made before Wedgwood releases its accounts for 2024, which in October.
John Wood, whose father was a pottery manufacturer in Burslem, bought the Brownhills estate near Tunstall in 1782.
He built a pottery factory on the estate and erected Brownhills Hall. The hall was a red brick Georgian mansion, where John lived with his wife, Mary, and their children.
In 1796, Mary was taken ill, and John asked Burslem surgeon Thomas Oliver to treat her. During his visits to the hall, Thomas met and fell in love with their daughter Maria. His love was reciprocated, and the couple wanted to get married. Although Thomas had a successful practice, John refused to let him marry her.
He ordered Thomas to leave the hall and never darken its doors again.
Maria and Thomas started meeting near a mill in the Scotia Brook Valley. One evening, John found them there. He attacked Thomas, and the two men fought each other. After the fight, John called Thomas a poor beggar and ordered Maria to stop seeing him.
Maria obeyed her father and refused to see John again. John was devastated. He neglected his practice, took no interest in his personal appearance and started drinking heavily.
John’s wife, Mary, was taken seriously ill. John asked Thomas to treat her. He agreed, and she became his patient again. When Mary recovered, Maria and Thomas asked John to let them marry. He refused. Thomas became angry and told John that he would get even with him. After making the threat, Thomas left Brownhills Hall and walked home.
A few days afterwards, Thomas, armed with two loaded pistols, went to Brownhills Hall. When he arrived there, John was still in bed. Thomas went to the factory to wait for him in his office. When he came into the office, Thomas gave him the bill for treating Mary.
John gave the bill to Mr. Bathwell, one of his clerks and spoke to him. While he was speaking to Mr. Bathwell, Thomas pulled a pistol out of one of his pockets. He shot John. After firing the pistol, Thomas attempted to commit suicide by shooting himself. Before he could pull the trigger, Mr Bathwell knocked the gun out of his hand.
John looked at Thomas and said to him, “Oh, sir, you have killed me.” Thomas replied, “It is what I intended.” He made another attempt to kill himself. The attempt failed and he was arrested.
John died three days later. Thomas was charged with murder and remanded in custody to await trial at Staffordshire Assizes.
His trial took place on Friday, 25th August 1797. He pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity. Two leading physicians gave evidence to support his plea. Their evidence was rejected by the jury. He was found guilty and sentenced to death.
Until the beginning of the 20th century, a person found guilty by a jury at an Assize Court or Quarter Sessions could not appeal against conviction or sentence. Punishment was inflicted within days of the sentence being passed. Thomas was executed at 10.30am on Monday, 28th August, just three days after his trial.
After taking communion in the prison chapel, he walked calmly and bravely to the gallows. His body was taken to Stourbridge, where it was buried in the family grave.
The Brownhills Murder is one of a series of articles about North Staffordshire’s history written by Betty Martin before her death. Other articles from the series will be posted from time to time.
This video takes you on a nostalgic journey down Memory Lane to Longton in the 1960s. You will be taken back to a time of tight-knit communities, bustling high streets and industrial activity in a pottery town in Stoke-on-Trent.
During your trip down Memory Lane you will see a stunning collection of rare photographs that bring Longton’s past to life.
When you have seen the video, please use our Comments Section below to share your memories of Longton with us. Tell us about the schools you attended and your first job. Let us know what you did in your spare time and tell us about your interests and hobbies.
Monday, 15th September, was Battle of Britain Day.
It’s the day we pay tribute to the courage of the pilots who, fighting against overwhelming odds, won the battle. We also remember members of the armed forces killed in action and the civilians who died when enemy bombs fell on British towns and cities.
The role North Staffordshire played in the battle must not be underestimated. RAF pilots were trained at Meir. Firefighters from the Potteries were sent to help their colleagues in Coventry when it was bombed.
Two of the world’s leading aircraft designers, John Lloyd and Reginald Mitchell, grew up in the Potteries. Both men were educated at Hanley High School and served their engineering apprenticeships with local firms.
John Lloyd designed the Whitley, a heavy bomber. During the Battle of Britain the Whitley bombed and destroyed strategic targets in Germany and Italy.
The Spitfire, designed by Reginald Mitchell, became a living legend. It was the aircraft that gave Britain its Finest Hour and saved the world from Nazi domination.
Went the day well?
We died and never knew.
But, well or ill,
Freedom, we died for you.
My cousin, Barry Winter, died recently. He was the loveliest person you could hope to meet. He was born in Stoke-on-Trent, the only child of my dad’s older brother, Clifford, and his wife, Fay, market traders in the Tunstall and Hanley markets.
Josiah Wedgwood (1769-1843) was the second son and namesake of the famous potter and inventor, Josiah Wedgwood (1730-95). He followed his father as head of the family’s pottery manufacturing firm, based at Etruria near Stoke-on-Trent. Although he was the second son and had lived as a country gentleman in Dorset before his father’s death, taking little interest in the business, its management fell to him because of his older brother’s ‘chronic incompetence’ and his younger brother’s death.
The government says any proposals to reform local government in Staffordshire must identify and address the financial challenges facing Stoke-on-Trent City Council.
This community-made film takes a light-hearted look at historic Beerhouses in Longton and their links with the Pottery Industry.
When you have watched the video, please use our Comments Section below to share your memories of Longton’s Beerhouses and Public Houses with us. Tell us the stories your father and your grandfather told you about them. Let us know which was your favourite public house. Tell why you liked it and the traditional games you played there with your friends.
We have spent most of the week reorganising our filing system and image archive. Several new posts have been put on this site. They include details of services provided by Staffordshire Library and a video about the Armstrong Whitley Bomber.
The Whitley was a Second World War heavy bomber. Built in Coventry, the Whitley was designed by John Lloyd, who grew up in Etruria. Other aircraft designed by John included the experimental flying wing, which ushered in the jet age and helped to create the V Bomber force and Concorde
Sir Morien Morgan, the Director of the Royal Aircraft Establishment at Farnborough, said John was one of the 20th century’s leading aeronautical engineers.
John is regarded as one of the 20th century’s leading aircraft designers.
Stoke-on-Trent, the city where he received his education and served an apprenticeship, has refused to recognise his achievements.
We hope you have a relaxing and enjoyable weekend. Take care. We will see you again on Monday.
North Staffordshire Heritage 