Neale & Co. and Wilson. (active 1778-1816)
James Neale and his son in 1791.
Perhaps the figures we call Neale should, even when marked, be credited to the Wilson family for, as we shall see, James Neale, was a London merchant rather than an active potter. He owned the Church Works, the manufactory that produced so-called “Neale” figures, for a brief period, while the Wilson family’s activities spanned the entire period associated with “Neale” products.
James Neale was born ca.1740 into a family that had no known connection with Staffordshire or pottery manufacture. By 1760, young James Neale found himself working in an administrative capacity in a London distributorship that handled the wares of Staffordshire potters. In August 1762, Neale married Hannah Heath, the daughter of an old Staffordshire family. The Stoke parish marriage register records Neale as a “Merchant” residing in Wapping (east of the City of London.) In 1766, the Neales established themselves at 8 St Paul’s Churchyard, London, and soon after acquired the next door property too. St Paul’s Churchyard was then a hub of activity that accommodated china and glass merchants amongst its mixed trades, and the premises was to be both home and business for the Neales into the nineteenth century.
Hannah Neale’s older sister had married the Staffordshire manufacturer Humphrey Palmer, so James Neale distributed earthenware products for his brother-in-law, as well as other Staffordshire potters, from his successful London emporium. But in 1778, Humphrey Palmer was in serious financial trouble. On 23 March 1778, he surrendered all his property, including his Church Works potbank—a substantial enterprise-- to his principal creditor: James Neale.[i]
Neale must have returned to the Potteries to handle his newly acquired Church Works manufactory—after all, its well-being impacted his London business. In 1778 and 1779, he bought adjacent land to enlarge his site.[ii] Fortunately, the Church Works had an able manager named Robert Wilson, and apparently Neale was able to be back in London perhaps as soon as 1781[iii] while Wilson ran the Church Works. Wilson soon became a partner in the Church Works, for its joint ownership by “Neale & Wilson” is documented by an invoice dated 10 Nov 1783[iv]; an impressed “Neale & Wilson mark” occurs on wares.[v] The London emporium and the Church Works seem to have operated with different ownership structures, but at times the lines blurred. Essentially, Neale—along with assorted London partners who joined him in the 1780s—continued distributing the wares of the Church Works, just as he had in the days when Palmer operated it.
On 27 February 1789, James Neale sold the Church Works to Robert Wilson, Potter.[vi] Perhaps Wilson had an ownership stake already, for in 1788 he had bought a large plot of land adjacent to the works, and records of that transaction show the Church Works boundary as “Mr Wilson’s Garden wall.”[vii] Neale and Wilson probably retained an association of sorts because a document dated 24 April 1792 records that the “Copartnership” between Robert Wilson and James Neale “expired” on that day.[viii] James Neale then continued operating his London emporium, but his direct involvement in manufacture ended. He died in 1814.
Robert Wilson was a prominent entrepreneurial potter in his time. Left to his own, Robert Wilson expanded the Church Works on added land[ix] and he even built houses at the works to entice good workers.[x] He died in January 1801. The next month, Robert Wilson’s executors (James Neale was one) transferred ownership of the Church Works to “David Wilson the younger of Hanley, Manufacturer of Earthenware[xi]. Allbut’s Directory of 1802 records David Wilson as an Earthenware Manufacturer. [xii]
David Wilson was Robert Wilson’s brother and apparently the brothers had worked together for many years. This is documented by a record in the Staffordshire Advertiser at the time of David’s death in June 1816, noting David had “succeeded Robert, together near 50 years e’ware mfrs”[xiii] It seems David too had been working at the Church Works when James Neale acquired it.
David Wilson’s sons, John (Jack) and James, joined their father in 1809 to form David Wilson and Sons. James died in 1814, and the business was then renamed David Wilson and Son.(158). John was a hellion, so by 1816 David Wilson wanted to dissolve their partnership. Death did it for him, for David died in June 1816. By July 1817, John Wilson was bankrupt and the Church Works was sold to satisfy creditors. [xiv]
James Neale was born ca.1740 into a family that had no known connection with Staffordshire or pottery manufacture. By 1760, young James Neale found himself working in an administrative capacity in a London distributorship that handled the wares of Staffordshire potters. In August 1762, Neale married Hannah Heath, the daughter of an old Staffordshire family. The Stoke parish marriage register records Neale as a “Merchant” residing in Wapping (east of the City of London.) In 1766, the Neales established themselves at 8 St Paul’s Churchyard, London, and soon after acquired the next door property too. St Paul’s Churchyard was then a hub of activity that accommodated china and glass merchants amongst its mixed trades, and the premises was to be both home and business for the Neales into the nineteenth century.
Hannah Neale’s older sister had married the Staffordshire manufacturer Humphrey Palmer, so James Neale distributed earthenware products for his brother-in-law, as well as other Staffordshire potters, from his successful London emporium. But in 1778, Humphrey Palmer was in serious financial trouble. On 23 March 1778, he surrendered all his property, including his Church Works potbank—a substantial enterprise-- to his principal creditor: James Neale.[i]
Neale must have returned to the Potteries to handle his newly acquired Church Works manufactory—after all, its well-being impacted his London business. In 1778 and 1779, he bought adjacent land to enlarge his site.[ii] Fortunately, the Church Works had an able manager named Robert Wilson, and apparently Neale was able to be back in London perhaps as soon as 1781[iii] while Wilson ran the Church Works. Wilson soon became a partner in the Church Works, for its joint ownership by “Neale & Wilson” is documented by an invoice dated 10 Nov 1783[iv]; an impressed “Neale & Wilson mark” occurs on wares.[v] The London emporium and the Church Works seem to have operated with different ownership structures, but at times the lines blurred. Essentially, Neale—along with assorted London partners who joined him in the 1780s—continued distributing the wares of the Church Works, just as he had in the days when Palmer operated it.
On 27 February 1789, James Neale sold the Church Works to Robert Wilson, Potter.[vi] Perhaps Wilson had an ownership stake already, for in 1788 he had bought a large plot of land adjacent to the works, and records of that transaction show the Church Works boundary as “Mr Wilson’s Garden wall.”[vii] Neale and Wilson probably retained an association of sorts because a document dated 24 April 1792 records that the “Copartnership” between Robert Wilson and James Neale “expired” on that day.[viii] James Neale then continued operating his London emporium, but his direct involvement in manufacture ended. He died in 1814.
Robert Wilson was a prominent entrepreneurial potter in his time. Left to his own, Robert Wilson expanded the Church Works on added land[ix] and he even built houses at the works to entice good workers.[x] He died in January 1801. The next month, Robert Wilson’s executors (James Neale was one) transferred ownership of the Church Works to “David Wilson the younger of Hanley, Manufacturer of Earthenware[xi]. Allbut’s Directory of 1802 records David Wilson as an Earthenware Manufacturer. [xii]
David Wilson was Robert Wilson’s brother and apparently the brothers had worked together for many years. This is documented by a record in the Staffordshire Advertiser at the time of David’s death in June 1816, noting David had “succeeded Robert, together near 50 years e’ware mfrs”[xiii] It seems David too had been working at the Church Works when James Neale acquired it.
David Wilson’s sons, John (Jack) and James, joined their father in 1809 to form David Wilson and Sons. James died in 1814, and the business was then renamed David Wilson and Son.(158). John was a hellion, so by 1816 David Wilson wanted to dissolve their partnership. Death did it for him, for David died in June 1816. By July 1817, John Wilson was bankrupt and the Church Works was sold to satisfy creditors. [xiv]
Note that Neale owned another manufactory also. In June 1779, a year after acquiring the Church Works, Neale acquired (again as a result of Humphrey Palmer’s financial distress) Palmer’s life-time interest in the New Hall estate and potworks in the adjacent Potteries hamlet of Shelton.[xv] Neale owned this manufactory—today associated in this period with the manufacture of porcelain-- until Palmer’s death a decade later.[xvi]
The Church Works wares spanned the lives of Humphrey Palmer, James Neale, Robert Wilson, and David Wilson and is known more for its wares than its figures. Figures were made in creamware, pearlware, white jasper, basalt, and porcelain, but only enamel-painted earthenware figures are our focus. There is no indication that Palmer made enamel-painted figures. The first such figures were made after Neale assumed ownership, i.e. after 1778 and manufacture probably continued until David Wilson’s death in 1816.
[i] Peter Roden, Copyhold Potworks and Housing in the Staffordshire Potteries, 1700–1832 (Grange-over-Sands, Cumbria: Wood Broughton Publications, 2008), p.33, 85
[ii] Ibid. p. 235
[iii] Diana Edwards. Neale Pottery and Porcelain its Predecessors and Successors 1763-1829. (Barrie & Jenkins 1987), p.43
[iv] Ibid.
[v] Ibid. pp. 154-5. Also Bonhams New Bond Street, Sale 1781, 14 April 2010, lot 10, creamware ladle impressed 'Neale & Wilson'.
[vi] Roden, p. 34.
[vii] Ibid. p. 239.
[viii] Edwards p. 156.
[ix] Roden, pp. 239, 242, 290-2, 342.
[x] Ibid. p. 227.
[xi] Ibid. p. 34.
[xii] R. K. Henrywood, Staffordshire Potters, 1781–1900 (Woodbridge: Antique Collectors’ Club, 2002), p. 265.
[xiii] Rodney Hampson, Pottery References in the Staffordshire Advertiser, 1795–1865 (N.p.: Northern Ceramic Society, 2000), p. 129.
[xiv] Roden, p. 35.
[xv] Ibid. p. 85-87.
[xvi] Diana Edwards and Rodney Hampson. English Dry-Bodied Stoneware. 158.
The Church Works wares spanned the lives of Humphrey Palmer, James Neale, Robert Wilson, and David Wilson and is known more for its wares than its figures. Figures were made in creamware, pearlware, white jasper, basalt, and porcelain, but only enamel-painted earthenware figures are our focus. There is no indication that Palmer made enamel-painted figures. The first such figures were made after Neale assumed ownership, i.e. after 1778 and manufacture probably continued until David Wilson’s death in 1816.
[i] Peter Roden, Copyhold Potworks and Housing in the Staffordshire Potteries, 1700–1832 (Grange-over-Sands, Cumbria: Wood Broughton Publications, 2008), p.33, 85
[ii] Ibid. p. 235
[iii] Diana Edwards. Neale Pottery and Porcelain its Predecessors and Successors 1763-1829. (Barrie & Jenkins 1987), p.43
[iv] Ibid.
[v] Ibid. pp. 154-5. Also Bonhams New Bond Street, Sale 1781, 14 April 2010, lot 10, creamware ladle impressed 'Neale & Wilson'.
[vi] Roden, p. 34.
[vii] Ibid. p. 239.
[viii] Edwards p. 156.
[ix] Roden, pp. 239, 242, 290-2, 342.
[x] Ibid. p. 227.
[xi] Ibid. p. 34.
[xii] R. K. Henrywood, Staffordshire Potters, 1781–1900 (Woodbridge: Antique Collectors’ Club, 2002), p. 265.
[xiii] Rodney Hampson, Pottery References in the Staffordshire Advertiser, 1795–1865 (N.p.: Northern Ceramic Society, 2000), p. 129.
[xiv] Roden, p. 35.
[xv] Ibid. p. 85-87.
[xvi] Diana Edwards and Rodney Hampson. English Dry-Bodied Stoneware. 158.