Ridgway

English family of ceramic manufacturers. About 1792 George Ridgway (bapt Great Chell, Burslem, 12 June 1757; d Shelton, 12 July 1823) and his brother Job Ridgway (bapt Great Chell, ?18 Nov 1759; d Shelton, 30 May 1814) founded the Bell Works in Shelton for the production of earthenware. Initially they traded as Ridgway, Smith & Ridgway but from 1799 as Job & George Ridgway. In 1802 the partnership was dissolved; George remained at the Bell Works, and his brother built new premises at Cauldon Place on the banks of the Cauldon Canal. There he produced mainly tableware, mostly with blue transfer-printed chinoiseries, as well as figures and groups. He traded as Job Ridgway until 1808, when he brought his sons John Ridgway (b Stoke on Trent, 1 Feb 1786; d Shelton, 3 Dec 1860) and William Ridgway (b Stoke on Trent, ?1787; d Clayton, Staffs, 29 March 1864) into partnership, and the firm was styled Job Ridgway & Sons. In the same year the factory began to manufacture porcelain tea-sets, dessert-services and ornamental wares, often richly enamelled and gilded. In addition, high-quality earthenware or stone china dinner-services were produced in order to compete with 'Ironstone China' patented by Charles James Mason (1791-1856) in 1813.

See the Abbreviations for further details.