Topic: Gladstone milk jug

[Anne E.B.]

Finally got round to posting.  Been up to my eyes with helping to look after baby granddaughter who is crawling rings around me!   so not had much time to indulge in hobbies, and not had a great deal of time or success in discovering more about this six sided jug with handpainted flowers.

I'm told its a Victorian milk jug.  The two little holes on either side at the top are where a lid would have been fitted at one time.  Indeed there is still a metal plug stuck in one of the holes.  The backstamp shows that it was made by Gladstone, but I can't find anything from Gladstone Pottery that matches the "W & Co. B" which appears underneath the name Gladstone.  There is also a Reg.number which shows up better in the photo than I could make out just looking at it.  I think it reads 319344, or 319844  but it is very worn.

Can anyone throw any light on it please?

[keith]

If it's 319344 then it dates to 1898 but can't find anything other than Gladstone bone china which started in 1939 so I'm stumped

[Anne E.B.]

That's as far as I got too Keith  .  I'll have to dig a little further.  Will get back if I have any success.
Not bad condition considering its age

[keith]

Did wonder if it was W&Co,Hanley,Stoke but that mark is different

[Anne]

B might be for Burslem, one of the Five Towns?

[Anne]

It is! 

Wade & Co. Union Pottery, Burslem, 1887 - 1927

Mark is W. & Co. over a B.

Name of individual pattern often included, so I guess the pattern is Gladstone.

Source: Godden's British Pottery & Porcelain Marks

[Anne]

Should also have said, welcome back t'other Anne, we've missed you!  I'm told that grandkids are even better than kids! Hope you're having loads of fun. 

[keith]

Well found,the reason that grandkids are better is because they go home at the end of the day!

[Anne]

Keith, yep, you can give 'em back when you've had enough!

[Anne E.B.]

 
Thanks t'other Anne - that's great!  I've now googled Wade & Co. to see if I could find another piece with that particular pattern, but without success.  I think you're right about Gladstone being the pattern name.  I did discover that the then future P.M. W.E. Gladstone visited Burslem in 1863 to officiate at the opening of the Wedgwood Memorial Institute, so perhaps the pattern name has something to do with him Or perhaps there was a park named after him, and the handpainted flowers on the jug were inspired by that - but I'm just wildly guessing there   I'll probably hang on to it for a while and use it to hold flowers instead of using my glass vases.

Just as an aside - something quite terrifying has just happened. The Falmouth Beach Hotel caught fire - the roof has now collapsed, and my OH was in the swimming pool in the sports complex when the fire alarms went off.  He was evacuated safely along with other members, but the car has had to stay where it is in the car park. Hopefully everyone has been evacuated/rescued, and our car will still be there in one piece . Huge winds are fanning the flames and making it very difficult for the fire service to deal with it.  It looks as though the whole four storey building is on fire now and will have to be rebuilt.  So glad I didn't decide to go today.

[Anne]

Oh my goodness! Anne, I'm so glad your hubbie is safe, and hope your car will be too. We saw the fire on the news and I thought it was somewhere near to you. It looks dreadful, I hope no-one was hurt.

[Anne E.B.]

We got the car back just before dark, so were able to check it over carefully.  Completely coated in ash and looking a bit of a state, but fortunately it all washed off and there is no damage to the paintwork etc.  It smells very smokey inside but a sponge over/windows open should sort that out.
No one was hurt, and everyone was accounted for fortunately and that's the main thing. Cars and buildings can be replaced.  I feel sorry for the staff who might now find themselves without a job. Not a good time to lose your job.