Myott, Son & Co
KEY DATES
1898 - 1902 Alexander Pottery, Wolfe Street, Stoke (founder - Ashley Myott)
1902 - 1946 Alexander Works, Cobridge (previously Brownfields)
1925 bought Upper Hanley Pottery from Grimwades
1947 bought Crane Street Pottery, Hanley
1969 - 1976 bought by Interpace Corporation (USA) but name retained
1976 - 1989 merged with Alfred Meakin (Tunstall) Ltd to become Myott-Meakin Ltd.
1989 - 1991 renamed Myott-Meakin Staffordshire Ltd
1991 became part of Churchill Group
DESCRIPTION
In 1898 Ashley Myott, with family backing, took over the business of George Thomas Mountford at the Alexander Works, and in 1902 moved to Brownfield's Works in Cobridge. He was assisted by his brother, Sydney Myott, and both remained in the company management until the 1960s.
The majority of wares made by Myotts were traditional tablewares. By the 1930s they were manufacturing ironstone, white granite and semi-porcelain tableware, decorated with lithographs and hand painting for both home and abroad.
Around this time, the company began to produce a large range of unusual art deco wares - vases, jugs, planters, wall pockets etc. - all brightly painted by hand. This is likely to have been a response to the success of their competitors such as Grays (with Susie Cooper wares) and Wilkinsons (with Clarice Cliff). The Myott designs are, however, anonymous. The large number of pieces surviving suggests that this was a successful change of direction. Some "art wares" were also manufactured for Goldscheider, until 1950.
Myotts continued to produce tablewares and, in 1969, were taken over by the American corporation, Interpace.
[Interpace Corporation was founded in 1962 by the merger of two companies - one which had made concrete pipes since 1905, and one which had been producing clay products since 1875.]
The new partnership extended the tableware range, introducing a new earthenware range entitled Franciscan which was manufactured and marketed in both UK and USA. It first appeared in the UK early in 1972. It had been found to be cheaper to manufacture and export this ware from the UK base because of tariffs and other economic considerations in USA. This was in the mid-market price range and complemented the cheaper existing Myott tablewares. Franciscan patterns included Floral, Sundance, Hacienda (green and yellow), Madeira and Nut Tree. All were designed in America and some glazes were imported.
Transfer decorated tableware continued after 1976 under the Myott-Meakin name.
There is little documentary material available on the company as factory records were lost in a 1949 fire.
COLLECTION DETAILS
Earthenware jug 1934 - 1938
on display in Ceramics Gallery
FURTHER READING
HAMPSON, Rodney Churchill China : Great British Potters Since 1795 University of Keele, 1994
ROWLANDS, Phyllis British Franciscan in Tableware International, May 1972, p. 44-46
WATSON, Pat Art Deco Aberration in Antique Dealer & Collectors Guide, Feb 1992, p. 33-36
