Heritage News 19 - South Derbyshire District Council

TICKNALL POTS AND POTTERS
A new book from Landmark Publishing, “Ticknall Pots and Potters”
by Janet Spavold and Sue Brown, has been eagerly anticipated by
local historians for some time. The book is the result of many years’
work on their part and is hailed as a definitive work on the subject.
Priced at £24.99, the book is available from either Sue (01530-412888)
or Janet (01530-415117) if readers do not come across it elsewhere.
David Barker (Stoke-on-Trent Archaeological Service) recommends
it as “essential reading for anyone with an interest in pottery or
pottery production”.
Co-author Janet Spavold writes:
“The book discusses the potting families as well as the pottery they
produced. Several significant potting families have been identified; there
was intermarriage among them, and the pottery trade was not confined
to men only. Girls were brought up to the trade, and then worked with
their husbands in family groups; some widows continued the businesses.
“Much of Ticknall’s output was utilitarian ware for the kitchen
and dairy, easily broken and discarded, which helps to explain
why so little survives today. However, we can demonstrate the
widespread distribution of Ticknall pots through documentary sources,
and we discuss how and where it was sold. It has been possible to indicate
likely values for the utilitarian wares over time, and to tabulate named
types of pots by date. There was an extensive and sophisticated
distribution network which was later adapted to serve the potteries at
Stoke-on-Trent, Derby and South Derbyshire. Sales of pottery through
markets and fairs can be shown to have been a significant method of
distribution.”
The book charts both the rise and fall of this forgotten industry, and as
well as archaeologists it will be of interest to local, family and economic
historians as well as archaeologists. The book sheds some new
light on the problem of the Melbourne pottery as part of the discussion
of the extent of the Ticknall industry.
“Ticknall pots were sold throughout central England for over 400 years.
Already well-known to archaeologists, this study will enable “Ticknall
Ware” to be interpreted more accurately when it is encountered on
archaeological sites. In its early period, we suggest, pottery from Ticknall
was probably better known than that from the Stoke-on-Trent area. The
pottery was sold from Lincolnshire to Cheshire and from Lancashire to
Shropshire.
“All the Ticknall pottery mentioned in Leicestershire probate inventories
has been mapped, to show the rise and fall of the industry. The output of
other potteries such as those at Boston, Burslem and Wednesbury is
discussed for comparison, along with imported pottery. Decorated
Cistercian wares have been found through extensive fieldwalking. Some
of these fragments are exceptional for their date, featuring small but
exquisitely-modelled animals or flowers.
•“small but exquisitely modelled”. Ticknall ware fragments
showing dogs, with 5p piece for scale.
FEELING GARRULOUS?
Come along and celebrate ‘Memories of Swad and Melbourne’ !
May is the Historical
Association’s “Local History
Month”. To mark the event,
the National Forest’s
“LANDshapes” Project has
joined forces with the
Derbyshire County Library
Service and local heritage
groups to organise two
unique events.
Everyone is invited, free of
charge, to come along to
“Memories of Swad” on May
17 th, 10am – 6pm, at
Swadlincote Library and
“Memories of Melbourne” on
May 23 rd , 2pm – 6pm at
Melbourne Library.
Both events involve seeing,
sharing and saving our local
history. See how lives and
landscapes have changed in the
area and listen to a collection of
recorded conversations with
local people, telling their life
stories.
The Swadlincote event will
feature a fascinating display of
•An old photograph of the Delph or Market Place, Swadlincote.
By courtesy of the Derby Evening Telegraph.
photographs and artefacts by the
Friends of Eureka Park and the
South Derbyshire Mining
photographs of Melbourne, taken
over the last 15 years, and
Melbourne Civic Society will
display images from their own
archives.
Preservation Group.In
Melbourne, the Melbourne
Historical Research Group will
present a local history display What you remember and can
and their new book ‘Melbourne share is important! Both events
1820-1875; A Diary by John are chances to share your
Joseph Briggs’ will be on sale. memories of how the
Local photographer Peter Clough Swadlincote and Melbourne
will be exhibiting his areas have changed in your
Heritage News - 3
lifetime. Please bring in your
own old photographs or
objects that relate to bygone
industries and ways of living.
Have a look in your attics,
sheds and wardrobes for
memorabilia of days gone by
to bring along.
Saving your knowledge,
memories and stories for
future generations is an
important part of both events.
The organisers invite you to
take part in the LANDshapes
scheme, which is creating a
collection of local history
information, contributed by
local people. Help will be on
hand to record and add your
memories to the new
LANDshapes community
archive.
For further information, contact
Lucy Ashworth at LANDshapes
01283 551211 or Kathryn Durkan
at Swadlincote Library 01283
217701
Lucy Ashworth