The house went back on the market.
Victoria Pottery, the Brushes
Owners: John Dawson Cook; Enoch Yates; Thomas Green; Albert Edward Turner.
The earliest map I have showing the pottery is 1898; on the 1876/1877 maps there isn't a pottery but there is the brick yard further up. I did find an advert for the 'Victoria Works' in Whites' 1879, so, unless I'm told different, I'm assuming the pottery was established in the late 1870's. As it's so small there is little mentioned about it.
John Dawson Cook:
John Dawson Cook owned the Victoria Pottery in the years1879to1880that I know of for sure: Which isn't to say he didn't own it for more years either way.
John was born c1851in Grimsby, Lincs. & his father, Thomas, was a shipwright. He was trained as a joiner & builder & lived at various places in Sheffield, Yks., with his mother Mary Ann Cook, until her death in1900; among other property he also had a house in Sheepbridge which he let out - not always to his advantage.
Derbyshire Times Saturday 27th January 1877 (Doing a Runner!)
“A NEW WAY OF PAYING THE RENT.- Thos. Burmish, collier, Sheepbridge, was charged by his landlord, John Dawson Cook with fraudulently removing his goods in the night-time between 9th and 10th inst, he being at the time, in arrears of rent to the extent of £3 8s. 9d.
The complainant stated that the weekly rent was 4s. 6d. and it had been allowed to accumulate on account of the strike and the depression in trade. He had left the house in the night-time, not having given any previous notice, taking all his furniture, which he estimated to be worth about £4 with him.
The Bench informed the defendant by taking the course he had done he had rendered himself liable to pay double the amount of rent which would amount to nearly £8 0s. 0d. but taking a lenient view of the case, reduced the amount to £5, or in default six weeks imprisonment with hard labour.
The defendant either could not, or would not, find the money and was consequently removed in custody.”
White's Directory of 1879 describes him as a joiner, builder, brickmaker and earthenware manufacturer, Victoria potteries, Brushes.
Unfortunately he wasn't very lucky in business it seems & went into liquidation in 1880.
Sheffield Independent Saturday 21st August 1880
“THE AFFAIRS OF MR. JOHN DAWSON COOKE.[sic]
A meeting of the creditors of Mr. John Dawson Cook, of Victoria Foundry, Holland road, Sheepbridge, builder and earthenware manufacturer, was held yesterday at the offices of Messrs. Webster and Styring, solicitors, Hartshead. There was a large attendance of creditors. Mr. Senior, colliery proprietor, Rose Hill, Chesterfield, presided over the first part of the meeting: Mr. G.A. Rooth, timber merchant, also of Chesterfield, afterwards occupied the chair. Mr. Styring represented the debtor, Mr. John Gregory, jun., of Highfield, accountant, read the following statement of affairs:-”
LIABILITIES."
Unsecured creditors …................................................ £925 2s. 2d.
Creditors fully secured ........................£9278 0 0
Less estimated value of securities ........9742 9 9
Surplus to contra .....................................464 9 9
Creditors for rent &c ................................................... £ 70 3s. 2d.
£995 5s. 4d.
ASSETS.
Book debts about £35. 4s. 8d. estimated to produce ....... £ 20 0 0
Surplus from securities in the hands of creditors ….......... £464 9 9
fully secured _______
£484 9 9
“The failure had arisen in consequence of the great depression of trade, which had led to the depreciation in the value of the debtor a property in the Sheepbridge district. Liquidation by arrangement was resolved upon. Mr Gregory was appointed trustee, with a committee of inspection, consisting of Messrs. George Senior, John Johnson, R.T. Dixon, J. Elliott, and Henry Lewis. The debtor's discharge was granted, and Messrs. Webster and Styring were entrusted with the registration of the resolutions.”
It wasn't the end for John Dawson Cook though as in 1887 he was bidding for work from the Sheffield council; & in 1893 he was suing the Sheffield council over a sewer which ran under his land. In 1902 he was selling land to the Sheffield council, so he was carrying on his business.
He died in 1931.
Enoch Yates: c1897 - 1915
Enoch Yates owned the pottery from c1897to his death in1915.
Enoch was born c1862in Whittington, Dbys., to William , a pottery labourer, & Mary Ann (nee Mottishaw) Yates. Pottery was his trade from early on, being a pancheon potter & a burner before becoming an employer at the Brushes Pottery & making 'Blackware'.
He married his first wife Martha Jane Hicks in1881& had 5 children that I'm sure of: William c1882, Sarah c1884, Grace c1887, Ruth c1889& Rebecca born1891. Martha died on the7th September 1893aged 28yrs, the same time as their daughter Rebecca aged 2 yrs died.
Enoch married again in1894to Alice Ann Setchell; but they didn't have any children.
The1901Census gives Enoch Yates as the owner of the works; & his obituary gives the date of him working the pottery as c1897.
As small as the business was, it was hard to get trustworthy staff.
Sheffield Daily Telegraph Thursday 28th July 1904
CHARGE AGAINST A DRONFIELD CARTER
“Yesterday, at the office of the Clerk to the Chesterfield County magistrates, before Alderman J.M. Clayton, Walter Nayler, carter, Dronfield, was charged with embezzling £4 13s 6d., money which he had received on behalf of his employer, Mr Enoch Yates, of the Brushes, Whittington, earthenware manufacturer.
The prosecutor said he had been pressing people for payment of their accounts, and they had produced receipts given them by the accused.
Mr. Clayton remanded the accused until Saturday.”
Sheffield Daily Telegraph Friday 21st October 1904 Summary
EMBEZZLEMENT AT WHITTINGTON
“Walter Nayler (28), carter, was indicted for embezzling £3 2s. on March 9th, £4 13s. 6d. on March 26th, and £4 3s. 4 ½d. on July 7th, money received by him respectively from George Allison and Sons (Sheffield), Sandon David Marshall (Clowne) and David Fenby (Sheffield), on behalf of his employer Enoch Yates, at Whittington.......”
Nayler was employed as clerk & carter. He received the money from the persons named but didn't put it on their credit.
His defense was that he had given the money to Mrs Yates – but he didn't have any receipts to show as evidence.
He was found guilty & sentenced to three months hard labour.
Enoch was listed as an earthenware manufacturer, & his second wife, Alice, aiding in the business, on the1911Census, & they were living at The Blocks, Old Whittington. He died in1915.
Thomas Green & Albert Edward Turner:
1925-1937
Ronald Brown – Journal of the Northern Ceramic Society 1994:
“It was on the main Sheffield road in a district know as the Brushes. Nearby clay was used. From its smallness, the pottery was known as the 'Bacon Box' factory. It was run by A. E. Turner, who had been with T. W. Green at the Albion pottery until 1925. Turner was bankrupt in July 1932 for £332.
Wares: Red clay pancheons, and other coarse pots. No mark is known.”
Please see Albion Pottery
for details of Thomas & Albert & their families.
Until 1925 Thomas Green & his half-brother Albert Edward Turner had been running the Albion Pottery, New Whittington. After they'd gone bankrupt Thomas bought the Victoria Pottery at the Brushes, Sheepbridge. Albert E. Turner worked for his half-brother, Thomas Green, at the Brushes Pottery & later buys it. Unfortunately he ends up in the bankruptcy courts again.
The Derbyshire Times, Friday 25th June 1937
“BRUSHES POTTERY BUSINESS
CHESTERFIELD'S MAN BANKRUPTCY EXAMINATION
Liabilities of £372 and a deficiency of £321 were returned by Albert Edward Turner (54), of 4 Devonshire Street, New Whittington, Chesterfield, carrying on business at The Brushes Pottery, Sheepbridge, whose affairs were the subject of inquiry at Chesterfield County Court on Friday. The causes of his failure were given by debtor as “lack of capital, bad trade and family illness.”
Debtor stated that in October, 1925, he and another were adjudged bankrupts in Chesterfield County Court following unsuccessful trading as charabanc proprietors and potters at New Whittington, under the style of the 'Green Brothers'. A dividend of 14s. 8d. in the £ was paid to Turner's creditors, and he obtained his discharge in April, 1928, subject to a suspension of two years. He worked for two years as a fitter, until March, 1929, for his brother, who carried on business at The Brushes Pottery, Sheepbridge. Eventually he purchased, for £320, his brother's premises and business, which he carried on with two employees and one of his sons.
There was only one kiln, and the business consisted of the manufacture of pancheons, pippins and tree-pots for sale at wholesale rates. The turnover for the first two years averaged about £22 10s. a week, and he was able to meet his commitments; but it became increasingly difficult to dispose of the pancheons and pippins owing to changes in public requirements; while the pots could not be produced in sufficiently large quantities to compete with the bigger concerns.
In September, 1933, he sustained a loss of about £70, through unsatisfactory results following the use of a cheaper coal, and the turnover from the beginning of 1934 averaged only about £15 a week. Liabilities gradually accumulated, and his position was also adversely affected through family illness.
An approximate account prepared for the purposes of his statement of affairs, covering the last year of trading, showed sales of £780, expences £761 2s., leaving a net profit of only £18 18s. The unsecured indebtedness included £130 in respect of the unpaid balance of the purchase price of the business.
The public examination was closed.”
The following sale was the last thing I've found about the pottery.
End