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STOCKTON-ON-TEES. 
THE STAFFORD POTTERY. 
There were several potteries at Stockton, but only one on the 
Yorkshire or south side of the river Tees, known as the Stafford 
Pottery, at Thornaby-on-Tees. It was established in 1825 by Mr. 
William Smith, and began as a small brown ware pottery, but the 
founder, a man of energy and enterprize, roused to emulation by 
the thriving potteries on the Wear, determined to enlarge his 
scheme ol operations. He went into Staffordshire and there 
engaged a managing partner. Mr. John Whalley, who had an 
intimate knowledge of potting, gained in some of the best known 
Staffordshire works. In 1826 the firm began operations under 
the style of William Smith and Co. In order to get command of 
more capital Messrs. William and George Skinner were taken 
into partnership, and eventually the firm became George Skinner 
and Co. On Mr. Whalley’s retirement, Mr. Ambrose Walker, a 
native of Hanley but an inhabitant of Stockton from his boyhood, 
who had also the advantage of having been trained under Mr. 
Whalley, and who had received from him all his valuable recipes, 
etc., undertook the management, and the firm became Skinner 
and Walker in 1870. 
The Stafford Pottery was noted for the extensive use of ma¬ 
chinery at a time when the art of “ throwing” was almost entirely 
a manual labour. 
At one time a branch pottery was established at Genappes, near 
Mons, in Belgium, the workmen being sent over from Stockton. 
The pottery still continues, being carried on by the Thornaby 
Potter)/ Co. Ltd., and employs about one hundred hands. 
The wares made are common printed and sponged earthenware 
and the brown ware, often called “ Sunderland ” ware, because it 
was first made at that town. It is made from the natural clay of 
the district, and has a lining or “slip” applied to the inside, while 
the outside is left of the natural colour and glazed almost to the 
bottom. It has been one of the industrial products of the County 
of Durham for the past 120 years. 
Cane ware is also made from clay the colour of bamboo or 
thereabouts. It is very unusual for it to have any coloured deco¬ 
ration, though often “ slipt ” white or blue inside. 
