William Adams and Sons (Potters)

of Greenfield and Greengates Potteries, Tunstall, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire. Telephone: Hanley 7504 and 7561. Cables: "Adams, England". (1929)

of Tunstall, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire. (1947)

Earlier titles: W. Adams; W. Adams and Co; W. Adams and Son. ^[1]

The Adams family had potteries in Staffordshire as early as 1650. At that date two brothers, William and Thomas, had separate ventures in Burslem. Such family activity has continued to the present. William Adams and Co, with large potteries in Tunstall is managed by members who are the 11th and 12th generations in direct descent from the original 17th century Adams of Burslem. ^[2]

Attributing examples of china marked Adams to a particular man can be complicated and confusing because so many of them bore the same given name, William. This is particularly true with collectible Adams china.

Of the major potteries in the district the Greengates Works seems to have had the earliest origin since it grew out of a pottery owned by George Booth, in 1745, as part of an estate in Furlong Road. ^[3]

1784 The works then passed with the estate through various hands and was sold to William Adams, earth-potter of Burslem and tenant since 1779.

1786 Within two years Adams had rebuilt the factory, then the largest in the Tunstall area, and in the period up to his death in 1805, he produced there blue-printed ware, fine stone ware, jasper, Egyptian black (basalte), and, for the first time, 'mocha' (white or cream ware).

In the latter part of the 18th-century and continuing into the 19th, there were three William Adams. All were cousins and operated their own large potteries independent of the others. Further, with one exception, they were succeeded by sons of the same given name who, in the main, continued making the same kinds of wares. They were:
- William Adams (I) 1745-1805, of Greengates, Tunstall
- William Adams (II) 1748-1831, of Brickhouse, Burslem and later Cobridge Hall, Cobridge
- William Adams (III) 1772-1829, of Stoke-on-Trent. Important also was:
- William Adams (IV) 1798-1865, of Greenfield, Tunstall, son and successor to William Adams III
1805 Benjamin Adams, William's youngest son and heir, was only 17 in 1805 and the works seems to have been run by his managers and his elder sister Mary until he took over in 1809.

The manufacture of jasper ware was a family secret and therefore ceased during these four years; it was not resumed on a large scale and Benjamin concentrated on stone, blue-printed, and useful ware.

Not as gifted as his father, and, though never enjoying the best health, very fond of sport, he spent less time in the factory; it was also a period of general decline in the pottery trade.

1822 He sold the Greengates Works and estate to John Meir who already had a small pottery in Tunstall, and the property remained in the hands of the Meirs until 1896.

1827 and 1834 William and then Edward Adams, sons of William Adams of Bagnall and Fenton, married two daughters of the late John Breeze, who owned the Greenfield works.

1834 The works was first let to Wood and Challinor of Brownhills, but in 1834 it was added to the Adams's family business.

The main product until the time of William's death in 1865 was white granite ware (ironstone china), first made at Greenfield in 1842; other products were sanitary ware, printed ware, and sponged and painted ware for the East.

1896 The Greengates Works was bought by the senior branch of the Adams family.

1929 The pottery, still worked by William Adams and Sons (Potters) Ltd, was largely rebuilt and was enlarged to accommodate the production of the Greenfield factory which was transferred there in 1956.

1929 Listed Exhibitor - British Industries Fair. Manufacturers of Earthenware of every description for all markets. Freehand Painted Titian Ware (Registered) Blue Printed, White Granite, Semi-Porcelain, Jasper Ware, Badged Ware for Hotels, Institutions, etc. (Stand No. G.23) ^[5]

The making of jasper ware, which ceased again when Benjamin Adams sold the works, was revived soon after the Adams family regained possession.

1947 Advert in British Industries Fair Catalogue as Exhibiting Member of the British Pottery Manufacturers' Federation of Federation House, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire. Composite Exhibit. (Pottery and Glassware Section - Olympia, Ground Floor, Stand No. A.1211) ^[6]

1956 The factory was closed and production transferred to the enlarged Greengates Works.

1966 William Adams was acquired by the Wedgwood Group - they continued to manufacture ware with the Adam name, sometimes also with the Wedgwood Group name.

Sources of Information