Sherds from North Hylton
The term 'Sunderland ware' is most often used as a blanket term for pink- (and later orange-) lustre items from the North East, but also from Scotland, Yorkshire and Staffordshire. However, those lustre wares make up a relatively modest portion of the overall output of the Sunderland potteries. We know from the scant remaining records that the potteries also produced large quantities of brown ware, 'blue and white' pottery and other transfer-decorated utilitarian ware, and hand-painted tea wares, like 'Gaudy Welsh'. As the majority of these wares were unmarked, it's difficult enough to distinguish them from those made in Staffordshire and elsewhere, never mind work out which Sunderland pottery made what. That's what makes the sherds on the following pages such a unique and valuable record. They give us an insight into the activities on the North Hylton site nearly 200 years ago.
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The majority of the sherds photographed were collected by Norman Lowe and his children on family visits to Sunderland in the 1990s. They were careful to pick up only what was on the surface and not to disrupt any future archaeological exploration of the the site. Keith Cockerill has also provided data from the 'Forgotten Stones Project', set up by Castletown Neighbourhood Action Group in 2017. He writes that, 'Its main purpose was to investigate the ancient causeway (possibly Roman) that once crossed the river at Hylton. Archaeologists Wardell Armstrong led the project for the action group. However, the North Hylton Pottery site was also investigated in 2018 during the investigations.' Some images of the dig below.
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Photo Keith Cockerill
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See, local historian, Beverley Ruffell's book 'The Malings and North Hylton Pottery' for a complete history of the site. The following pages are the result of collaborative effort with Norman and Keith. Our hope is that others may come forward who have collected sherds from the site to build further on what Norman and Keith have discovered.
Photo Keith Cockerill
North Hylton Pottery marks and date range of finds
A pottery at the North Hylton site was established by William Maling in 1762. However, the Malings transferred their operations to a new pot works in Ouseburn Bridge, Newcastle, in July 1815. Little is known about the wares produced by the Malings at North Hylton, as marked items are rare. See the North Hylton inscriptions page for the few marked items I've assembled to date. NB the identification of potential 18th century items From North Hylton is still very much a work in progress and can be found on a separate page. Baker alludes to a rare 'Hylton Pot Works' mark appearing on late 18th century creamware mugs, but no example has yet been recorded. The account books of Thomas Bewick (the celebrated Newcastle engraver) list copper plates made or repaired for 'Hilton Pottery' in the late 1770s, but we don't have images that might aid with identification.
After 1815, the North Hylton Pottery was operated jointly with the Sunderland or Garrison Pottery. The Dixon, Austin & Co partnership ran both sites under the banner of 'the Sunderland Pottery' from 1818 to 1839. The few rare sherds with pottery marks indicate that the finds largely relate to this period. The earliest potential match discovered to date for an unmarked sherd, is typical North Hylton mug dated 1826, shown on the undecorated and glazed page.
After 1815, the North Hylton Pottery was operated jointly with the Sunderland or Garrison Pottery. The Dixon, Austin & Co partnership ran both sites under the banner of 'the Sunderland Pottery' from 1818 to 1839. The few rare sherds with pottery marks indicate that the finds largely relate to this period. The earliest potential match discovered to date for an unmarked sherd, is typical North Hylton mug dated 1826, shown on the undecorated and glazed page.
A sherd with an image of the Dutch naval hero, van Speyk (d1831) originated from the mid to latter end of the partnership. The first sherd (below centre) has the features of van Speyk's face, and the second has impressed marks to the back (below right). Both of which are a perfect match for a complete plate below, from Norman's collection and shown besides the sherds for comparison. So a hitherto unrecorded attribution for an impressed mark from the North Hylton site.
See the end of the transferware page for sherds with a pattern called 'Australian' that appears on items marked Dixon, Phillips & Co. This later partnership began in 1839. No mark from that partnership has yet been recorded on a sherd from North Hylton. However, the presence of sherds with the Australian pattern extends the date range of spoils on the site, perhaps even into the 1840s.
Varieties of finds
The presence of both glazed and unglazed sherds, some decorated, some not, evidences that they were discarded at different stages of the manufacturing process. Pink lustreware is notably absent from these pages. Click on the images below to see further examples.
Photos below, Norman Lowe
Kiln furniture
Undecorated and unglazed
Shell-edged ware
Pratt ware and other painted ware
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Brown ware
Undecorated and glazed
Slip ware – marble ware and mocha ware
Transferware
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