ROBINSON AND LEADBEATER

ROBINSON & LEADBEATER 1865-1924 PARIAN MANUFACTURERS

The name “parian” is based on the white marble from Mount Elias on the Greek island of Paros.

Robinson and Leadbeater produced parian ware of a superb quality. They only produced parian and did so for longer than any other manufacturer.
They were very overshadowed by Minton parian which had always been considered to be the best.
R&L have been ignored and overlooked, partly because very little is known about them, and partly because their name is not familiar to most people.
Perhaps it is time that they receive the recognition they deserve.


In 1878 Jewitt states in the “Ceramic Art of Great Britain”
“These two manufactories belong to Messrs. Robinson and Leadbeater, and are entirely confined to the production of Parian goods, of which they are amongst the largest and most extensive producers, both for the home market and for exportation…
By giving constant and undivided attention to this one brand of ceramic art (Parian) the firm have succeeded in so improving it both in fineness and purity of body and in tone of colour as to render their productions of far higher than average merit.
They have studied excellence of body, originality of design, and cleverness of workmanship as before that of marketable cheapness, and in this they have done wisely. In material, they rank with the best productions of many competing firms, while in fineness of surface and careful manipulation they are scarcely excelled. The centre pieces, comports and flower holders, are characterized by the same good taste in design and the same excellence in finish; their variety is great and many of them have a freshness and originality in conception that is very encouraging.”

When Edward Leadbeater and Frederick Robinson bought the Glebe street works in 1865 from Giovanni Meli, they also bought the parian moulds. This gave them a high standard of quality from the beginning. The chief designer was Roland Morris who oversaw a consistency of design.


Parian was a semi- transparent highly vitrified form of bisque porcelain and R&L devoted their whole production to work in the parian body.

“Few if any firms rivalled the quality of parian produced at the two factories in Stoke”

The R&L parian was creamy fine smooth matt and soft to the touch .They sometimes also coloured the body with pastel washes. This was probably introduced due to a later decline in the market for white ware and a need to diversify. Many figures were produced in plain white parian and also a coloured version.
Vases and trinkets were produced in different colours - usually blue or green with white details. A large amount of ware was made with a tea stain effect - basically a brown wash and again I think this was in response changing fashions.
During the second half of the nineteenth century many small factories flooded the market with thousands of parian figure of varying quality and design. Most of these abandoned parian ware at the end of the nineteenth century but R&L continued until well after the second world war.
The Pottery Gazette of 1893 noted that “the firm now occupies the unique position of being the only concern left who devote their entire energies to the perfection of the most beautiful ceramic production, parian”
The ware we see today ranges from finely modelled figures to coloured, sentimental groups of figures to tea stained wares, crested giftware and cheaper trinkets. This reflects how R&L changed production to meet changing market demands.

In the end it seems they were defeated by new fashions and styles and the limitations of the parian body. The big pottery firms could also produce other products such as tableware but Robinson and Leadbeater were parian specialist and although they produced a huge variety of ware they could not survive beyond 1924.


EDWARD LEADBEATER 1837-1911. My great grandfather
Apprenticed to Thomas Worthington of Brook Street works, Hanley.
A partner in the pottery firm of Robinson and Leadbeater when he was 28 years old until he died. A Presbyterian and Liberal.
Mayor of Stoke-on-Trent 1899-1900.

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THE FACTORIES
Glebe Street Factory
Originally founded by Giovanni Meli, a clever Italian figure-modeller, in 1850.
He sold out to R&L in 1865. He sold the entire business with plant, moulds and machinery
Actually in Back Glebe Street. Now a car park by the Old town Hall.
Square courtyard with buildings and probably at least two potbanks. The factory may have extended around the corner to Wolfe Street and included an additional three larger potbanks. The factory is sometimes referred to as Wolfe Street.
See Hanley Lib – map XV111 1875 – 79. 5.4.

Wharf Street Factory
Begun in 1858 by Leveson Hill- sold to R&L in 1870 after his death.
After the second acquisition the firm expanded rapidly and they were one of the largest manufacturers in the area. The factory was the edge of the canal with a central courtyard with three potbanks and cranes for canal transportation. Ware would have been transported on the Trent and Mersey canal to Liverpool and beyond. Presumably there was an archway into the courtyard. Next door was a timber yard, and next to that was a flint mill.
A Telecom building now stands over the courtyard and potbank areas with a car park over the main area of building to the north.
.Parts of the original walls and floor can still be seen in the car park by the canal.
See hanley Lib – map XV111 1875 – 79. 1.24 James Smith may have shared the Glebe Street works from 1898 to 1922 James Smith may have shared the Glebe Street works from 1898 to 1922 – this was quite common practise at the time.

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THE BUSINESS
When R&L bought the Glebe Street works they bought all the moulds that Giovanni Meli had designed. He was a clever Italian figure sculptor who had produced fine groups and single figures.
Parian had already been in production at least 10 years before R&L started their business in 1865. Edward Leadbeater was 28 years old at this time.

Roland Morris started with the company as a celebrated young modeller and eventually became chief designer assuming all responsibility for designs. This created a so there was a consistency of design.
An advertisement in Keates & Ford’s Directory notes -
“new subjects by eminent artists constantly being added”.

In the 1870’s most of the firms products went abroad – mainly to the States, where the busts of Abraham Lincoln, Charles Sumner and Governor Andrew were most popular.
They also exported to Canada, the Colonies, and Germany – with no mark. Ware would have been taken by canal to Liverpool.
One of their most successful portrait statuettes here was, of course, Queen Victoria.

An advertisement of the 1880’s is for parian statuary, imitation antique ivory and fancy goods. They would supply price lists and photos to the trade.
The stocklist ran to several hundred different subjects.
Another advert of 1896 shows sixteen photographed figures probably from a larger catalogue.
The pottery Gazette of June 1893 noted that this firm “now occupy the unique position of being the only concern left who devote their entire energies to the perfection of the most beautiful ceramic production, parian…”

The book "A-Z of Stoke Pottery factories" states that in 1881 R&L employed 28 men, 10 women and 9 children. This seems to be a small number so perhaps production was already in decline as there were two large factories at the time?

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FACTORY MARKS
Jewitt states no mark up to 1878 although this may not be accurate.
1885 onwards – “R&L” impressed within an oval usually on the back or base of the figure
1905–1924 - Elephant head, crown and “Royal Ivory Porcelain R&L Ltd, trade mark, Stoke-on-Trent”


Robinson and Leadbeater produced hundreds of different sorts of designs.
Statuary groups and figures, statuettes and busts, vases of endless variety, centre pieces and comports, flower stands, bracket and pedestals, bouquet holders, trinket boxes, cream ewers, jugs and other fancy items.

So this is an incomplete list based on pieces I know and information available.
Ware marked “(known)” are pieces that are in the family or that I have had handled.

STATUETTES
A pair of Gypsy Musicians - approx 18’’ high white. These lived in the home of Mrs Ethel Wright - Edward Leadbeater’s daughter.(known) A pastel coloured version was also produced.
Grecian lady - semi naked pouring water approx 18’’high white.(known)
Fishing and Hunting - coloured pale pink red and green
Venus and Cupid - 10" high
Morning and Evening - 1890 15" high, one pink and one blue.
Mercury – 1880
Girl and boy at waters edge - boy about to wade in. Soft pastel colours
Conquering Jealousy and Young Columbus although not sure about these.
Also from R&L adverts - Innocent Protected, Penelope, The Power of Love Cupid Betrayel, Cupid Captive, Golden Age, Rock of Age, Guardian Angel, The Immaculate Conception, Christ and St John, Virgin and Child, The Combat, Lion Slayer, Dante and Beatrice, Hubert and Arthur, Virgin and Child.



PORTRAIT BUSTS
Clytie - 22inches, Apollo – 26 inches high, Gladstone, Disraeli, Cobden, Tennyson, Dickens.
Queen Victoria – in several versions.
Beethoven, Chopin, Handel, General Booth, Goethe, John Bright, Lord Byron, Lord Nelson, Mary, Queen of Scots, Mendelssohn, Nicholas of Russia, Robert Burns, Washington, Henry Irwine, Wesley. Oliver Cromwell. Lord Rosebery For the USA – Abraham Lincoln, Charles Sumner, Governor Andrew, Garfield, and Longfellow.

TEA STAINED GROUPS AND FIGURES

STATUETTES
Owl approx 5’’high tea stained.R&L( known)
Gypsy style flower seller with basket- female (known)
Gypsy style flower seller with basket- male (known)
Sitting boy with dog licking face (known)
Small boy with broom (known)
Boy selling newspapers
Classical figure pouring from a pitcher into an oil lamp

Centre pieces and comports - "Say When” – two priests – one standing serving ale to seated figure with hat(known) "In disgrace" girl and dog 13" high
"Nell and her grandfather"
Various Tea stained vases, flower stands, brackets and pedestals, bouquet holders, trinket-caskets, cream-ewers and fancy articles.



AND EVERYTHING ELSE!
Cherub reclining on open shell possibly R&L but no mark (seller said patent date was R&L) approx 12’’wide and 8’’high .Inside of shell was glazed.(staffs anti fair1998)This could be “shell matchbox” registered design Oct 24 1874
"You carn't read!" little girl with book and dog. Coloured
"Wounded to the rear" and " The wounded scout" not sure about these, but they are said to appear on the factory record of 1855?
Pair of owls with holder for matches, inscribed “Matchmaker”. Registered design “ Owl Ornament” Aug 1871.Owls are very similar to a single owl that is marked R&L (known)
Wall flower vase of stork in reeds, tea stained. (known)
Swan plant pot holder sitting on a stand. This used to live at the bottom of the stairs in Edward Leadbeater’s daughter’s house – Ethel Wright, in Thistleberry Avenue Newcastle. It was broken by the lodger!
Various flower stands, brackets and pedestals, bouquet holders, trinket-caskets, cream-ewers, and fancy articles. Vases - pair of vases with applied fruit and flowers painted in soft pastel tones (known)
Also green leaf base vase with white lily, green oval vase with white foliage to handle, green ovoid vase with white fruit, green jug with white handle and foliage and grapes to body, green vase with white cupid figure. Trinkets - green pot with white flower to top, green shoe with flowers (known)
Fancy articles - Ann Hatherway’s Cottage, coloured approx. 3’’ long (known)
Identical house to above but 4’’ long Irish Cottage! Stamped in circular blue Robinson & Leadbeater. Not a pastille burner.(known)


“GOD is LOVE” in letters made entirely from parian flowers. Each white letter is about 4" high composed of 10-20 flowers. A limited number of these were made only for the family of Edward Leadbeater. (known)

Oval Frame for a mirror made of flowers, same flowers as "god is love". (known)

Therle Hughes stated in an article “mother of pearl ware”, Homes and Gardens May 1962 that “R&L produced exceptionally fine mother-of-pearl ware in the 1860’s.Comports, flower holders, centrepieces and other articles. But none have been found with a R&L mark”
Registered Designs
1871 Aug 2 parcel no 3 Owl ornament
1871 Dec15 parcel no 5 Monkey vase
1872 March 26 parcel no 3 Parian ornament
1872 March 26 parcel no 3 Parian cow
1872 July 2 parcel no 2 Dog match holders
1872 July 15 parcel no 4 Parian group
1874 Oct 24 parcel no 3 Shell matchbox
1874 Oct 24 parcel no 3 Butler matchbox
1875 Jan 20 parcel no 3 Flower holder
1877 Oct 3 parcel no 2 Flower holder
1878 May 3 parcel no 9 Match stand



Other companies that Edward Leadbeater and his son Edwin were involved in……


Victorian Pottery company
Established in 1882, in Lonsdale Street, by Robinson, Edward Leadbeater and Leason. Majolica, ivory and cream coloured earthenware. Variety of useful and ornamental goods, desert services and game pie dishes.

Hewitt & Leadbeater
1907 –1919 - Hewitt bros and Edwin Leadbeater (worked at Spode and married a Miss Hewitt – Uncle Eddy) at the Willow Pottery, Longton.
Hewitt Bros continued it, while Edwin started his own works.
Produced china and parian wares marked “Willow Art china”, or possibly “H&L” or “Hewitt and Leadbeater”.


Edward Leadbeater
Born in Hanley in 1827
Apprenticed to Thomas Worthington, earthenware and stoneware manufacturer at Brook street Works, Hanley Formed R&L with Frederick Robinson in 1865 when he was 28 years old.
Married Emma and had 3 sons and 5 daughters –William, Arthur, Edwin, Ellen, Emma, Martha, Ada and Ethel (my grandmother)
The census of 1881 shows a domestic servant and a nurse
He was Mayor from 1899 to 1900. He was living at this time in Myrtle Villa, James Street, Stoke. May have lived at Regent Street too.
Newspaper article of 1900 about the meeting of the Stoke town council and the re-election of him as the Mayor, states
Alderman Green said “ he had already spoken publicly about the ability, the care and the attention that Alderman Leadbeater had bestowed upon public business: he had conducted it in a fair and straightforward manner and no better man could be chosen to take it in hand.
Alderman Leadbeater had discharged the work with dignity and grace and in a business- like manner, with satisfaction not only to the council but to the townspeople”.
When the re-election had been confirmed, Alderman Leadbeater thanked the councillors and said “during the past year they had had a great deal of work to do with regards to the soldiers, their wives, widows and families” The paper also goes onto say that Alderman Leadbeater was a manufacturer of wares that were held in high esteem over several continents. It also says that he took a great interest in the Hanley Ragged School and that the school did not have a better friend.


Giovanni Meli
Born 1815 Palermo Sicily. Came to London in 1838
1840 he was invited to Burslem by Samuel Alcock but they had a disagreement and Meli moved to Stoke. Sons Edward John Salvatore, Vincent, Leopoldo and one other.
Meli was a founding member of the Stokeville Building Society but he never lived at the housing development “The Villas” and he sold his share in 1853.
1861 he was living at West Bank Penkhull
He worked in Stoke on Trent as an independent sculptor supplying models to various firms. He supplied models to Copeland and Garrett as early as 1846 and some Adams parian figures were produced from his moulds. He also worked for Sir James Duke & Nephews.
In 1861 his letter headings read “ Designer and modeller. Manufacturer of parian figures, ornaments etc… near the Town Hall Stoke on Trent
He started the Glebe Street works in 1850 and produced clever groups and single figures in parian until he sold plant machinery and moulds to R&L in1865. He returned to Italy with the intention of starting a terracotta manufactory. He relinquished this due to lack of suitable native clay or marl for the making of the saggars. He then went to Chicago where he succeeded and continued production to at least 1878.