Sunderland Bridge – Bridge 17
Moore & Co's Wear Pottery and Scott's Southwick Pottery
The transfer appears on wares attributed to both Scott and Moore. Baker writes, that 'Scott's supplied earthenware to Moore's Wear Pottery [...] presumably plain for decoration' (Baker page 54). The enamel decoration is consistent on all the items on this page suggesting they were decorated in one place. This transfer does not appear on pink-lustre items from the 1860s. So it is possible that it was commissioned as a replacement for bridge 18, which does not appear on orange lustre items. Orange lustre appears to have been introduced sometime around the mid 1860s..
Ian Sharp writes of this transfer: 'Transfer of the new levelled bridge, which was completed in 1859. This transfer bears the initials of William Mowat (W.M.), lower right-hand side. Other transfers bearing Mowat’s initials have appeared on pieces manufactured by Thomas Fell of Newcastle. Mowat worked as an engraver in Dean Street, Newcastle on Tyne in the 1850s–1870s.'
Two smaller lustre jugs with similar orange lustre and enamel decoration.
Another with wavy orange lustre decoration.
An unmarked bowl with similar decoration to the jug above.
The attractive green and orange enamelling on this bowl is unique to Moore's Pottery in the 1870s. This bowl is dated 1873.
Two frog mugs with the transfer and 'Scott' frog. The second frog (below) is undecorated.
The left plaque below is a form associated with Moore's, and the right of a form used by Scott's. However, they were very likely enamelled by the same hand.
The transfer on a chamber pot. The 'Oh Dear Me' transfer in the centre is more commonly associated with poorly executed and later items (c1880–1900) from Ball's Deptford Pottery. Ball acquired many of the transfer plates from the Sunderland potteries, so where production by Moore & Scott ends and Ball begins, is anyone's guess. See below for items firmly attributed to Ball's Deptford Pottery.
Ball's Deptford Pottery
The two bowls below could be as late as 1900. Ball's was the last pottery in the North East to make so-called 'Sunderland Ware'. They bought up transfer plates from both Wearside and Tyneside potteries, and mixed and matched them as they pleased. The bowls have views of both the old and new Sunderland Bridge.
Sunderland Bridge 1859
Unidentified pottery
A rare version of the transfer on an eel pot or butter dish with its lid missing and likely made c1859. I would love to find more items with this dated transfer.
The porcelaneous mug below with gilding is unlike anything produced by the North East potteries in the 19th century. It could be that the transfer plate moved to Staffordshire at some point, or perhaps this mug was made in the 20th century.
