God Speed the Plough – early creamware
God Speed the Plough was a popular transfer on wares through from the late 18th century into the 20th century. Creamware items like the mugs above and below are difficult to attribute. The first mug was advertised on eBay as 'Leeds', but creamware tankards were made in Staffordshire, Liverpool, Sunderland and Tyneside. If anyone has any firm information on these three items, please get in touch. The transfers are sufficiently similar to those used on NE items to justify inclusion on this page. (See the Moore & Co transfer below.)
God Speed the Plough – Sunderland
Attributed to Phillips & Co, Sunderland Pottery
This appears to be an earlier imprint of the transfer below but with no printed factory mark. Instead, there is an empty cartouche, painted with orange enamel, with an engraver's signature beneath 'Downing Sct.' (NB the Dixon Austin sailor's farewell transfer is signed 'Downing Sculpt'). Compare with the two later mugs below with the Dixon Austin mark.
Dixon, Austin & Co, Sunderland Pottery – without lustre
The Dixon, Austin & Co partnership began in 1818 (see here), so it is possible that this jug just predates the 1820s.
Printed factory mark for 'Dixon Austin & Co. SUNDERLAND' with an engraver's signature beneath 'Downing Sct.'
Dixon, Austin & Co, Sunderland Pottery – pink lustre
An early dated jug with a moulded handle and the inscription 'R J Simmons, Dec 8th 1822.
The first jug below a marriage jug dated 1823. The second has an early shape like jug above.
Below are four larger jugs, with three different bridge transfers. The last is likely from about 1830. The God Speed the Plough transfer appears to have been particularly popular subject for marriage jugs, so many of these items have hand-painted inscriptions.
Dixon, Austin & Co, Sunderland Pottery
The jugs in this section come from the same transfer plate as the jugs above but, like the first jug, have coloured over-enamel decoration to the transfer. It is likely that these coloured enamel versions were made in both the 1820s and 30s.
Two smaller jugs with inscriptions. The early date of 1823 on the first jug shows that these enamelled versions were being made at the same time as the jugs above.
A jug of giant proportions (13 inches tall) dated 1832 with the transfer.
A Scott and Sons, Southwick Pottery – large transfer
This appears to be the same transfer as that above wrapped around a creamware mug. These early Scott items have distinctive decoration on the handle and no frog.
A variation of enamel decoration below with rows of horizontal lustre brushstrokes typical of Scott's.
A Scott and Sons, Southwick Pottery – small transfer
A Scott and Sons, Southwick Pottery
The jugs below have the early Scott 'Bridge' and 'God Speed the Plough' transfers, but paired with a transfer-printed collar more common on 1840s' to 1850s' Scott items. The second jug with the inscribed date 1837.
Moore & Co, Wear Pottery
AGRICULTURE, the most useful and important
of all pursuits, teaches the nature of soils and
their proper adaptation and management for
the production of food for man and beast
of all pursuits, teaches the nature of soils and
their proper adaptation and management for
the production of food for man and beast
God Speed the Plough – Tyneside
Attributed to Cornfoot, Carr & Co, North Shields, 1832–1838
This mug could very easily be mistaken for a Sunderland item, except that the lustre decoration of the handle, terminating in three horizontal strokes. That feature is typical of North Shields items.
The transfer on a jug paired with another of battling fishwives. Note the different decoration of the handle.
Attributed to Robert Maling, Ouseburn Bridge Pottery
A Tyne jug with a hand-painted inscription for 1829. These jugs are often attributed to North Shields. See the Robert Maling inscriptions page for more details about the Maling attribution.
Attributed to Robert Maling, Ouseburn Bridge Pottery
A larger jug with the transfer surrounded by green enamel decoration associated with Robert Maling and an inscription for 1830.
Attributed to Robert Maling, Ouseburn Bridge Pottery
The strong use of yellow enamels suggests a date of mid to late 1830s. The green flecks on these later items are more niaive and painterly.
Redhead, Wilson & Co, Forth Banks, Newcastle Pottery – 1833–1838
The yellow band decoration on the jug below is typical of Newcastle Pottery. The green band is more unusual. This version of the transfer has 'FARMERS' ARMS' underneath 'GOD SPEED THE PLOUGH'.
A taller jug with bright enamels and two yellow bands.
Two larger jugs with the transfer paired with 'British Slavery', after a caricature by James Gillray. Both with the printed mark for Newcastle Pottery. Beneath them, a third with a hand-painted floral collar.
James Wallace & Co, Forth Banks, Newcastle Pottery – 1838–1858
