SUNDERLAND AND TYNE LUSTRE POTTERY
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    • May Peace and Plenty...
    • May Peace Once More...
    • Norah Creina Steam Yacht
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    • Success to the Coal Trade
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    • Truelove from Hull / Unfortunate London
    • Untitled orange lustre ships
    • Untitled ship (Tyne)
    • Victory
  • Verses
    • A little health...
    • Distress me with those tears...
    • Foremast man...
    • Forget Me Not
    • Glide on my bark...
    • Life's like a ship...
    • Man Doom'd to Sail – The Tear
    • My bonny sailor's won my mind... (Tyne)
    • My heart is fix'd... (Tyne)
    • Now weigh the anchor...
    • Sailor's Tear
    • Success to all sailors... (Tyne)
    • Success to the Farmer
    • Success to the Tars of Old England (Here's to you Jack)
    • The sails unfurl, let the billows...
    • Thou noble bark...
    • Thus smiling at peril... (Tyne)
    • Time (Tyne)
    • When tempests mingle...
    • When this you see...
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      • North Hylton inscriptions
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Sewell & Donkin, St Anthony's Pottery – early inscriptions


Early export wares

This plate and the one below are discussed in the Northern Ceramics Society Newsletter 134, June 2004, p29 by their former owner, Harold Blakey.  If they look quite like nothing else on this page, that's because they were decorated in Holland.  The text on the first plate expresses gratitude to the Russians by supporters of the Dutch monarchy in 1813. I am very grateful to Wytze Stellingwerf (author of 'The Patriot Behind the Pot: A Historical and Archaeological Study of Ceramics, Glassware and Politics in the Dutch Household of the Revolutionary Era: 1780-1815') for translating in full the words on the plate.

God gave by the power of the Russians 
Our prince back to us as King 
And confirmed the Salvation of Holland 
By favourable turn on turn
Now we have been allied with the Russian and the Prussian
And Liberty be evermore preserved 
And the Service of God remain unharmed

​The second plate below, perhaps made to celebrate a family occasion, is dated 1819.  Both plates have Sewell & Donkin impressed marks.

Lambton and Powlett election items attributed to Sewell

To date, I've not found a marked Sewell item relating to Lambton and Powlett's election campaigns for Durham County, in either 1820 or 1826. However, ​Sewell & Donkin are known to have made relief-moulded jugs.  Note the grape-vine motif on the collar of the marked jug below, which also appears on the unmarked political items. 
The jug above appears in Joseph Sewell's 'Book of Designs' (see Moore/Blakey, 1993), whereas those below, with what might be described as a 'figurehead' handle, do not.  Thomas Fell, at the nearby St Peter's Pottery, is also known to have produced relief-moulded pottery with vine motifs.

Ian Holmes owns a fabulous Dixon, Austin jug with inscriptions for Lambton and Powlett in 1820, so it seems likely these jugs were made in 1820, for the earlier election.  Note the 'L' in Powlett is crossed.


Similar items from the 1820s

I'm less certain of a Sewell attribution for the the next three items.  However, the distinctive lower case 'f' is very similar to the Lambton mug above, and the 'C' of 'Crawford' is a good match for the 'Cheviot' jug below. This shape of handle is known to have been used by Sewell and appears in his 'Book of Designs'.  Note also the use of green enamel, which appears on many of the items on this page.

This jug pairs with the one above, but has a cottage on one side and a building with a flat roof on the other.  Michael Gibson lists this pair of jugs as 'probably Staffordshire', but in my view they are certainly made in the North East.
Below, a similar jug without inscription.

Picture
Photo Appleby Antiques
Note that on this jug the lower case 'L' is not crossed, which is a cause of concern for a Sewell attribution.  However, the capital 'C' is very similar to the items above.  This jug has a wide spout similar to the Sewell-impressed jug at the start of this page.

Although these jugs don't have inscriptions, I've included them because of their cottage decoration.  Note the handles match those on the Lambton jugs.

On this jug, the lower case 'L' is again crossed.  Compare that to the later Sewell puzzle jugs below

1820s' items with hand-painted flowers

The flared terminals of the capital 'S' of the script on this SEWELL-marked plate are distinctive (compare with the jug above), and the flower decoration ties in with the objects below.

Picture
Photo eBay

The mug again has distinctive leaf and flower decoration.  It is attributed to Sewell based on similarity of inscription to the items above.  Note the date format and the lower case 'L', and compare them with The 'Robert Wailes' jug above. I'm indebted to Norman Lowe for the following information.  Elizabeth Collin was born 4 January 1823 and baptised 13 January 1823 in Gateshead.  The pot painter went on to make similar items for the Sheriff Hill Pottery in the late 1830s.  Read more on that below.

Below, two Sewell-impressed plates (Harold Blakey describes the mark on the right plate as 'SEWELL in a bow and the numeral "2"') with similar leaves and flowers.

This mug has very similar flower decoration, but cruder script. Note that the 'L' in 'Wilson' isn't crossed.

Sewell & Donkin, St Anthony's Pottery – later inscriptions


Occasionally, a marked item comes along that causes an exciting shift in attributions. The 1833 jug below has a lovely impressed 'SEWELL.' mark within a raised beaded frame.
Previously, I'd attributed the puzzle jugs to Sheriff Hill on the basis of a Wesley plate marked 'J.&P' (Jackson and Patterson) with identical script. Jackson & Patterson ran the Sheriff Hill Pottery from 1833.  However, it is clear now that the pot painter / enameller first worked at St Anthony's Pottery (Sewell & Donkin), until at least 1833, and then moved to Gateshead and started work for Sheriff Hill some time before 1839.   Read more about Sheriff Hill inscriptions here.  
Picture



​This (larger than usual size) mug and saucer have some obvious similarities of script to the puzzle jug above (left detail).  They are from the Joyce and Jack Cockerill collection, and were likely sourced by their contact in Belgium. Sewell must have had close links with their Northern European distributors to be able to take on commissions for personalised items.  The saucer has a SEWELL impressed mark.
Picture



Pink lustre puzzle jugs with monograms and lustre garlands

The ​ Sunderland Museum & Winter Gardens, Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums catalogue attributes the jug below to Dawson's Low Ford Pottery.  Although Dawson did make puzzle jugs (see here), they are smaller and less bulbous in form.  The Museum catalogue states '19th century creamware puzzle jug given as wedding gift to John Burnop and Mary Douglas, 1828'.  The elaborate initials are similar to those on the other pink-lustre items below.  The mariners' compass transfer is also common to items on this page.


Sewell produced multiple versions of this transfer on tea wares, often found in canary yellow.
Picture
Photo Anderson and Garland

Contact Stephen Smith
I'm always happy to hear from other collectors or those looking to sell an item of lustreware.

​Have you visited my Sunderland plaque website? ​www.matesoundthepump.com
  • Home
  • Armorials
    • Crimea
    • Farmers' Arms
    • Foresters
    • Free & Accepted Masons
    • Gardeners' Arms
    • God Speed the Plough
    • Mariners' Arms
    • Mariners' Compass (early versions)
    • Mariners' Compass (flags)
    • Mariners' Compass (ships 1)
    • Mariners' Compass (ships 2)
    • Mariners' Compass (Tyne)
    • Masonry 1
    • Masonry 2
    • Masons' Arms
    • Masons' Arms (Tyne)
    • Odd Fellows (Grand Union of)
    • Odd Fellows (Independent Order of)
  • Maritime
    • Flag That's Braved 1000 Years
    • Jack on a Cruise
    • Jack's Safe Return - The Token
    • O'er the Green Sea
    • Pirate
    • Sailor's Farewell (Far from home...)
    • Sailor's Farewell (Sweet, oh sweet...)
    • Sailor's Farewell, Tyne (Sweet, oh sweet...)
    • Sailor's Farewell (The order giv'n)
    • Sailor's Fairwell and Return - Maling type
    • Sailor's Return (Now Safe Returned From Dangers Past)
    • Sailor's Return - Seaham and Stockton type
    • Shields the Mouth of River Tyne
    • Sweet Little Cherub (Poor Jack)
    • Tynemouth Haven
  • Ships
    • Agamemnon in a storm
    • Ball Ships
    • Brig / Schooner
    • Columbus (Tyne)
    • Duke of Wellington / La Bretagne
    • Frigate in Full Sail
    • Gauntlet Clipper
    • Great Australia Clipper Ship
    • Great Eastern Steamship
    • Gudrun
    • Life Boat
    • Majestically slow before the breeze... (Success to the Coal Trade)
    • Marco Polo
    • May Peace and Plenty...
    • May Peace Once More...
    • Norah Creina Steam Yacht
    • Northumberland 74
    • Star of Tasmania
    • Success to the Coal Trade
    • Success to the shipping trade
    • Success to the Tars of Old England
    • Truelove from Hull / Unfortunate London
    • Untitled orange lustre ships
    • Untitled ship (Tyne)
    • Victory
  • Verses
    • A little health...
    • Distress me with those tears...
    • Foremast man...
    • Forget Me Not
    • Glide on my bark...
    • Life's like a ship...
    • Man Doom'd to Sail – The Tear
    • My bonny sailor's won my mind... (Tyne)
    • My heart is fix'd... (Tyne)
    • Now weigh the anchor...
    • Sailor's Tear
    • Success to all sailors... (Tyne)
    • Success to the Farmer
    • Success to the Tars of Old England (Here's to you Jack)
    • The sails unfurl, let the billows...
    • Thou noble bark...
    • Thus smiling at peril... (Tyne)
    • Time (Tyne)
    • When tempests mingle...
    • When this you see...
  • Inscriptions
    • North Shields >
      • C,C & Co-Attributed Inscriptions
      • Carr & Patton-Attributed Inscriptions
      • John Carr & Sons Inscriptions
    • John Patton Inscriptions
    • Robert Maling-Attributed Inscriptions
    • C T Maling-Attributed Inscriptions
    • Newcastle Pottery Inscriptions
    • Thomas Fell-Attributed Inscriptions
    • Joseph Sewell-attributed inscriptions
    • Sheriff Hill-Attributed Inscriptions
    • Low Ford Pottery inscriptions >
      • Dawson Inscriptions pre-1830
      • Dawson Inscriptions post-1830
    • North Hylton inscriptions >
      • Early North Hylton or Sunderland Inscriptions
      • North Hylton inscriptions
    • Sunderland Pottery inscriptions >
      • Phillips Inscriptions
      • Dixon Austin Dated Inscriptions
      • Dixon Austin Pictorial Inscriptions
      • Dixon, Phillips & Co Inscriptions
    • Moore Inscriptions
    • Scott Inscriptions
    • Seaham inscriptions
  • Bridge over river Wear
  • High Level Bridge Newcastle
  • Commemoratives
  • Months
  • Dawson Bachelor / Supper Sets
  • Flowers
  • Frogs
  • Garrison Pottery puzzle jugs
  • Stockton Money Boxes
  • Stockton Pottery - Thomas Ainsworth
  • The Blue Flower Pottery
  • Warburton Transfers
  • Continental export wares
  • Sherds from North Hylton