God Speed the Plough

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 mug above 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 the two items above, please get in touch. The transfer is 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

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.' (NB the Dixon Austin sailor's farewell transfer is signed 'Downing Sculpt').

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.

The transfer on two tankards below, the first with an unusual blue ground.

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

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.

Attributed to Attributed to Robert Maling, Ouseburn Bridge Pottery or
Cornfoot, Colville & Co, North Shields, 1828–1832

A Tyne jug with a hand-painted inscription for 1829.

Attributed to Attributed to Robert Maling, Ouseburn Bridge Pottery or
Carr & Patton, North Shields 1838–1846

Although these green flecked jugs are often attributed to North Shields, it now seems more likely to me that they were made by Robert Maling's Ouseburn Bridge Pottery. NB they never have the horizontal lustre dashes on the handle associated with North Shields.

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'.

Two larger jugs with the transfer paired with 'British Slavery', after a caricature by James Gillray. Both with the printed mark for Newcastle Pottery.