John Carr inscriptions
John Carr continued at the Low Lights Pottery in North Shields after his partnership with John Patton dissolved in 1846. RC Bell suggests that initially he traded as Carr & Co, but then by 1855, as John Carr & Sons.
Although the date on this jug and bowl just precede the Carr & Co period, I have included them here because of similarities of the inscriptions to others on this page.
Below, again a jug dated 1845, clearly from the same hand. The lower case 't' is particularly distinctive, Compare it with the 1850 'Ann Williams' jug below.
Another jug with a Channel Islands inscription in red brown enamel. Again note the elaborate lower case 't'. Although the inscription has the date 1819, the jug was most likely made in the 1840s, like the one above.
A small jug from the National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London collection, commemorating Lord Nelson. Note the lower case 't' and the embellishments either side of the inscription, and compare them with the jug above. I haven't been able to find another match for the 'Forget Me Not' verse on 1840s or 50s Carr items.
This jug has a similar lustre motif to the Channel Islands jug above.
Photo Dukes Auctions
The lower case 'r' also becomes distinctive, with the arm dissociated from the stem of the letter.
Photo Sunderland Museum & Winter Gardens, Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums
The Sunderland Museum & Winter Gardens, Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums catalogue attributes this jug to Scott's Southwick Pottery. Scott's did versions of these Charles Wesley verses. The Carr versions are much less common.
Photo Ian Holmes
The plaque above, which I assume to be late 1840s, has the same distinctive font as the jug below. The pink lustre star (or flower) motif is found on plaques with the C, C & Co impressed mark from the 1830s.
Photo Toovey's Auctioneers
Photo Jack and Geoff Phillips Photographic Collection
Huge thanks to my friend, Sophie Nield, for unearthing the following family history for John Cuthbert Stobbs (b. Dec 19 1851 in Backworth, Northumberland).
John first appears in the 1861 census, aged 9 and living with Cuthbert Stobbs (1802 - 1893), his wife Hannah (1802 - 1882) and their daughter, also Hannah. John is listed in 1861 as 'son' - but a) he is a bit too young/Hannah is a bit too old to be his mother and b) in the 1871 census he is listed as 'grand-son'.
Cuthbert married Hannah in 1828 and their children up until 1851 were: William (b. 1828), John (b. 1829), Ann (1833 - 1900), Martha (1838 - 1907) and Hannah (1846 - 1875). In 1841, Cuthbert was a horse-keeper; in 1851 he was a cart-man, living in Allotment, Northumberland; in 1861 a publican/carter, and in 1871 he was an innkeeper, at the Wheatsheaf Inn, New York, Murton, Northumberland (pic attached).
John first appears in the 1861 census, aged 9 and living with Cuthbert Stobbs (1802 - 1893), his wife Hannah (1802 - 1882) and their daughter, also Hannah. John is listed in 1861 as 'son' - but a) he is a bit too young/Hannah is a bit too old to be his mother and b) in the 1871 census he is listed as 'grand-son'.
Cuthbert married Hannah in 1828 and their children up until 1851 were: William (b. 1828), John (b. 1829), Ann (1833 - 1900), Martha (1838 - 1907) and Hannah (1846 - 1875). In 1841, Cuthbert was a horse-keeper; in 1851 he was a cart-man, living in Allotment, Northumberland; in 1861 a publican/carter, and in 1871 he was an innkeeper, at the Wheatsheaf Inn, New York, Murton, Northumberland (pic attached).
John Cuthbert was born in Allotment, and became a millwright (1871) and later an engine fitter (1901; 1911). He married Mary, and they had nine children. In 1891, he was living at 36 Florence Street, Westoe, and in 1901 and 1911, at 342 John Williamson Street, South Shields. He died in Backworth, South Shields, aged 66, in 1918.
So, was he Cuthbert's son or grand-son? After much investigation, the answer is - grand-son! His birth certificate records his mother as Ann Stobbs, who would have been 18 or 19 in 1851. (pic attached). Ann went on to marry Henry Gregory, a coalminer, in 1856, and had six more sons, and a daughter.
So, was he Cuthbert's son or grand-son? After much investigation, the answer is - grand-son! His birth certificate records his mother as Ann Stobbs, who would have been 18 or 19 in 1851. (pic attached). Ann went on to marry Henry Gregory, a coalminer, in 1856, and had six more sons, and a daughter.
I am grateful to John Shepherd for the following information:
Made for the birth of William Reveley, born in June 1851 in Cowpen Square Northumberland were at first he lived with his Grandparents local Miners before his parents moved to Horton. His father Thomas a miner, and our William too went down the pit. He married Isabella Nelson at the age of 22 and had two children , son & daughter. Living first in Blyth then North Seaton. His wife died in 1896 , but two years later he remarried Margaret Oliver (Meggie) who gave him six more children. He died in 1935 t the age of 86.
Height 8.5 cm.
We do also have an image of William in later life.
Made for the birth of William Reveley, born in June 1851 in Cowpen Square Northumberland were at first he lived with his Grandparents local Miners before his parents moved to Horton. His father Thomas a miner, and our William too went down the pit. He married Isabella Nelson at the age of 22 and had two children , son & daughter. Living first in Blyth then North Seaton. His wife died in 1896 , but two years later he remarried Margaret Oliver (Meggie) who gave him six more children. He died in 1935 t the age of 86.
Height 8.5 cm.
We do also have an image of William in later life.
Sophie Nield has discovered the following about William Pass (1854 - 1940).
He was born in Easington, N. Yorks, 23 March 1854 to parents James Pass (1818 - 1907) and Elizabeth (Bessy) Pass, nee Boyes (1821 - 1889). James was an alum miner in Rawcliffe, Easington. His first wife, Jane, died in 1841, one month after they were married. James then married Bessy on 17 May 1851, and they had four children: Mary, William, Robert and Elizabeth.
William's uncle from the mug was likely William Pass (1826 - 1858), James Pass's brother. He would have been 28 when William was born, but he seems to have died quite soon after, in 1858, aged 31.
In 1861, when William was nine, the family were living in Easington. James was working as an alum miner. [In 1871, James, Bessy and Elizabeth were in Easington, but I can't find William on the census.] In 1881, William (now 29) was living with James and Bessy again. He was working as an ironstone miner, and James as a quarryman. In 1891, William was living at 14 Dundas Street, Loftus (sometimes spelled Lofthouse) with James, now a widower (Bessy died in 1889).
In 1901, William was boarding in Boosbeck (a nearby village) with lodging house keeper Hannah Lock and working as an ironstone miner. In 1911, he was still in Boosbeck, now lodging at 53 High Street, with landlady Sarah Jane Colley and two other miners, Elisha Arlett and Thomas Leasdale. In 1921, he was (at 67 years old) still working underground as a general labourer, and still lodging with Sarah Jane at the above address. In 1939, William was living in the Stokesley Poor Law Union. He died the following year, aged 86.
The Poor Law Unions were set up as workhouses, and, given William had not owned any property and (at 85) would have been too old to work, him being here is not a massive surprise. That being said, when the war started, a number of old Poor Law Union buildings were repurposed as municipal hospitals, and 100,000 people were accommodated in the buildings. The register-taker does put 'poor law institution' though, so my guess is that he was there on that basis, sadly.
He was born in Easington, N. Yorks, 23 March 1854 to parents James Pass (1818 - 1907) and Elizabeth (Bessy) Pass, nee Boyes (1821 - 1889). James was an alum miner in Rawcliffe, Easington. His first wife, Jane, died in 1841, one month after they were married. James then married Bessy on 17 May 1851, and they had four children: Mary, William, Robert and Elizabeth.
William's uncle from the mug was likely William Pass (1826 - 1858), James Pass's brother. He would have been 28 when William was born, but he seems to have died quite soon after, in 1858, aged 31.
In 1861, when William was nine, the family were living in Easington. James was working as an alum miner. [In 1871, James, Bessy and Elizabeth were in Easington, but I can't find William on the census.] In 1881, William (now 29) was living with James and Bessy again. He was working as an ironstone miner, and James as a quarryman. In 1891, William was living at 14 Dundas Street, Loftus (sometimes spelled Lofthouse) with James, now a widower (Bessy died in 1889).
In 1901, William was boarding in Boosbeck (a nearby village) with lodging house keeper Hannah Lock and working as an ironstone miner. In 1911, he was still in Boosbeck, now lodging at 53 High Street, with landlady Sarah Jane Colley and two other miners, Elisha Arlett and Thomas Leasdale. In 1921, he was (at 67 years old) still working underground as a general labourer, and still lodging with Sarah Jane at the above address. In 1939, William was living in the Stokesley Poor Law Union. He died the following year, aged 86.
The Poor Law Unions were set up as workhouses, and, given William had not owned any property and (at 85) would have been too old to work, him being here is not a massive surprise. That being said, when the war started, a number of old Poor Law Union buildings were repurposed as municipal hospitals, and 100,000 people were accommodated in the buildings. The register-taker does put 'poor law institution' though, so my guess is that he was there on that basis, sadly.
This jug, dated 1857, has the Carr version of the 'Masonry' transfer.
The jug below, despite the inscribed date of 1811, was likely made much later, perhaps as a 50th birthday present.
This is a very similar hand to that found on John Patton wares from the 1850s. According to RC Bell, by 1860 the Phoenix Pottery had been converted into a chemical works. So it appears that the enameller was by this date working at the Low Lights Pottery for John Carr & Sons.
