Catalogue - Page 15 of 22 - Dr Richard Talbot

mis 5 Doncaster Lane Penkhull where the pottery Willow Pattern was designed.

£2.00

Samuel Doncaster, (1772-1842) originating from Stone. He had two brothers, Henry, born 1768, and the Rev John Doncaster, born 1769, who resided at Newcastle. Samuel and Henry were both engravers and worked together at the workshop in Swynnerton ‘s Lane, Penkhull. They employed three people, Hancock, Greatbatch and Smith. Greatbatch went on to work for Mr Minton and Smith for Mr Spode (note Greatbatch Avenue). Brothers Henry and Samuel produced work for Spode, Minton, and Davenport. Henry Doncaster assisted another engraver, Mr Turner, in the development of the plates for the Willow Pattern for Mr Minton. In the account books of Minton there are numerous entries of payments to Mr Doncaster for work conducted on their behalf. In recognition of the work undertaken by Henry Doncaster, Swynnertons Lane was changed to Doncaster Lane.

Far more details in the three page artical including photographs of the Lane.

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mis 4 Chloroform used first in the country at Etruria Hospital.

£2.00

ByRichard Talbot

Quite by chance I came across an article dated 26^th December 1846 which pre-dates the official published date of 1847. In the article recorded in the Potteries Mercury it first acknowledged the work of Prof Simpson, who had demonstrated chloroform for its anaesthetic properties on humans but in fact had applied numerous experiments on himself and others first which gave rise to its rapid increase by the of the medical profession in favour to that of ether. The interesting fact remains is that surgeons at Etruria had performed operations with the use of chloroform several months prior to the work of Simpson being published, such was their skill of administering the drug resulting in a number of successful operations. Two pages

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mis 3 Canada Cottage, Penkhull – appearance of a Well in the kitchen

£2.00

ByRichard Talbot

In an old cottage found in Canada Cottage, Queens Road, Penkhull Stoke-on-Trent dates from 1814 during renovation of the kitchen, unearthed as a large deep well with water running through the bottom.

The well is 9m deep and is brick-lined in a manner that I’ve seen in other examples of the 18^th and 19^th centuries. Stylistically, the bricks appear to be no earlier than the late 18^th century, but, equally, could be early 19^th century in date. The owners pointed out a small number of pottery sherds that had apparently been found above the sandstone slab used to cap the well – most of these pieces were early-mid 19^th-century in date but offer somewhat iffy dating evidence as they’re essentially unstratified finds. Since the find the current owners have made this into a feature of the house, Not only is it now flood-lit it has a plate glass top cut to size making a feature many others residents in the area would like Certainly worth a read.

Two pages with a number of photographs.

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mis 2 Bakewell Street Park, Penkhull – its history 3 pages

ByRichard Talbot

It’s quite a few years ago since the Friends of Bakewell Street Park Trust was established and as a result secured major investment for the huge job of replacing the old unsafe paths, completely restoring the old bowing green pavilion, and clearing many self-setting and dangerous trees. In addition. the team worked hard in securing additional funding for picnic benches and seating on the lower section of the park.

In 2005 a group of enthusiasts got together to form ‘The Friends of Bakewell Street Park” Progress had been steady with a number of events being held in the park during the summer months. In a bid to ‘Awards for All’ the group have secured nearly £10,000 of funding to pay for a large marquee, metal picnic tables and seats, the services of a landscape architect to draw up the new plans and various other items. Three Pages

mis 1 A Personal prospective of post-war family hardships.

£1.00

ByRichard Talbot

Probably the most significant thing for the immediate post war years was rationing and little money. For families it must have been especially hard for mothers and hardships continued as for a decade following 1945. What is more surprising they are all within a person’s lifetime and have no relationship to present-day austerity.

As children we only had new clothes at Eastertime and these were purchased from the Co-op Emporium in Liverpool Road, Stoke, with the ‘divvy’ mother received on what we had spent at the co-op over the year. I was totally fascinated by the overhead wires carrying the Dart Cash Carriers from every corner of the store to a central elevated cashier’s desk.

Just a short part of an interesting view of life in the early 1950s. 2 pages

One of the highlights was when our landlord Mr. Bourne decided it was time to replace the ducket lavatory with actual clean fresh flushing one. The whole yard was dug-up for a water supply from the kitchen. I could not believe it; it was flushed with clean water you could drink – such wonders of the world I thought. But having water laid on brought a whole new set of problems in the winter months with freezing. Old rags were used as lagging to wrap around the pipe, but this was not sufficient. So, in addition a paraffin lamp had to be secured and placed by the pipe to keep the water from freezing ultimately leading to a burst-pipe and possibly no water for weeks.

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min 2 Thomas Minton, Master Potter – the wider picture.

£4.00

ByRichard Talbot

The 1790s was a time of major changes to the geography of Stoke with the cutting of two major transport facilities, first the turnpike road to Hanford (London Road) and then the canal from Stoke to Newcastle both opening up development opportunities in town. But first he had to grasp the opportunity to set up his own works as an ideal plot of land in the town of Stoke became available in 1793. It was in London Road with a good turnpike road. Later with a new canal the Stoke to Newcastle canal gave him direct acsess direct into his new factor in London Road – both for expoerts and the unloading of raw materials.

In 1796 Minton went into partnership with Joseph Paulson who was already producing china (porcelain containing bone ash) at a factory on land he purchased in 1792 just across the road from Minton.

The artical then continues with other partnership and the development of some of his best known early products. Thomas had two sons Thomas and Herbert both being taken into partnership. Thomas Webb decided to enter holy orders and in 1821 left Stoke. The title of the company known as Thomas Minton and Sons was dissolved and reverted back to the form of Thomas Minton. The termination of the partnership was brought about by the desire of Thomas Webb to study for the church. Subsequently, whilst he was the Rector of Durham, he gave the sum of £2,000 to be invested to provide a salary of a priest for the newly parish of Penkhull. It was his son, Samuel Minton who became the first incumbent of Penkhull Church.

Enough for now but this piece is just a shortened version of how the full article moves on to discribe the life of Thomas Minton. Three pages and photos. Three x A4 pages

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min 1 Thomas Minton, Master Potter

£2.00

ByRichard Talbot

Thomas Minton was one of a number the famous potters towards the end of the eighteenth century such as Spode, Whieldon, and Wedgwood. He was born Shrewsbury in 1766 commencing his employment in the 1780s as an apprentice transfer print and engraver. specialising in copperplate. Upon his completion of his apprenticeship he went to London where he executed commissions for Spode and others. Whilst there he married Miss Sarah Webb shortly afterwards, he and his wife removed to Stoke. After twenty-six years of engraving Minton decided to try his hand at potting for himself by this time, he had already engraved the famous Willow pattern, adapted from a design of Chinese origin.

At Stoke he rented one of four houses in a rather dilapidated condition that had been built by Thomas Whieldon called Bridge House at the junction of what was Whieldon Road and Church Street. In April of that year at the ages of thirty-three Minton and set up his own pottery factory for the manufacture of white glazed earthenware tableware in 1793. Three pages.

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man 39 Subsidy Roll for Penkhull 1327

£1.00

his is a transcribed copy of the Subsidy Roll talken of Penkhull in 1327.

This Subsidy was granted by the First Parliament of King Edward III. to meet the expenses of the Scotch War. The Statute has been lost, but the King’s Commission, dated 23rd November, 1 Edward III., recites that the Earls, Barons, Knights, Citizens and Burgesses of the Kingdom, had granted to him a twentieth part of all moveable goods for the defence of the Kingdom against the Scots.

The Collectors and Taxers for co. Stafford were John de Acton and Richard de Hampton. The Commission directs them to summon before them the most loyal and best men of each vill, from which they were to elect four, or six, or more if they thought it desirable, by whom the assessment could be best accomplished. These were to be sworn to fully and loyally make inquiry into the goods possessed by every man of the vill on Michaelmas Day, 1 Edward III.

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man 38 Stoke-upon-Trent Hearth Tax Returns 1662, 1666, 1672.

£5.00

ByRichard Talbot

The Hearth Tax records give a unique account of both the names of residents of any set place, but also of how many hearths (fireplaces) the property held which is used as a guide both to status and wealth.
I was fortunate enough to make contact with a National Archive searcher, who once worked there during and after the war. With luck she knew where other records were and transcribed them for me.
This means in addition to the one of 1666, published in the Staffordshire Historical Archives on this spreadsheet a further two dates are added.
This record indicates over the period in a number of cases names, frequently first name changed indicating that the previous record the one listed had died. These three entries can be used in many ways by the historian to assist in creating a profile of the village and or families.

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man 37 Fenton’s Reeve Book and customs of the Manor 1576 – 1826

£10.00

This Reeve book contains 57 pages of mainly legal rulings on the surrender and admittance of copyhold land belonging to the Lord of the Manor. Its and invaluable tool in identifying actual ownership especially for single women at the time and also where the inheritance lies.
It also identifies the jurisdiction and authority of manorial officers such as Reeve and Bailiff. Furthermore. it contains lists of the dates when each copyholder had to serve the office of Reeve on a rotation basis. But withing this document alongside the name of the Reeve it gives a valuable description of the land and importantly the previous tenant.
A great document for a serious study of feudal law of the time.

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man 36 Reeve’s Book 1676-1826

£6.00

This transcribed copy of the Reeve book from 1676-1826 is a great asset to the researcher. It gives in detail the years of the Reeve in office and lists of all the 18 original homesteads listed in 1086 with a full description of the plot and the current tennent. From this record a full account of the occupant each year. From this document a complete profile of Penkhull may be achieved with the information given.

Ten x A4 pages long

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man 35 Domesday and the Manor of Penkhull

£4.00

ByRichard Talbot

This six page article is a complete interpretation of the Domesday Record for the Manor of Penkhull in 1086 placing it into todays understanding. It also contains a summery of words used at that time along with the meaning.

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