Kutani Crane by Wedgwood

Kutani Crane by Wedgwood (back)

Wedgwood is a British pottery firm, originally founded in 1759 by Josiah Wedgwood, which in 1987 merged with Waterford Crystal, creating Waterford Wedgwood, the Ireland-based luxury brands group. The company still exists as a subsidiary within the group. Wedgwood is also used as a general term to describe the company's main products. Unfired green ware pottery on a traditional drying rack at Conner Prairie living history museum. ... 1759 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... Josiah Wedgwood Josiah Wedgwood (July 12, 1730 – January 3, 1795, born Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent) was an English potter, credited with the industrialization of the manufacture of pottery. ... The world-famous Waterford Crystal Ball is lowered in Times Square, New York City, on New Years Eve Waterford Crystal is a trademark brand of crystal glassware produced in Waterford, Ireland, by the company Waterford Wedgwood plc. ... The world-famous Waterford Crystal Ball is lowered in Times Square, New York City, on New Years Eve Waterford Crystal is a trademark brand of crystal glassware produced in Waterford, Ireland by the company Waterford Wedgwood. ...

The family and company history

Josiah Wedgwood worked with an established potter, Thomas Whieldon, until 1759, when relatives leased him the Ivy House in Burslem to allow him to start his own pottery business. The launch of the business was helped by his marriage to a remote cousin, Sarah (also Wedgwood), and her sizeable dowry.

In 1765, Wedgwood created a new earthenware form which impressed the then English Queen, who gave permission to call it "Queen's Ware"; this new form sold extremely well across Europe. Then, in 1766, Wedgwood bought Etruria, a large Staffordshire house, as both home and factory site. Wedgwood developed a number of further industrial innovations for his company, notably a way of measuring kiln temperatures accurately and new ware types Black Basalt and Jasper Ware, and on the basis of this work, was elected a member of the Royal Society in 1783. For other uses, see Royal Society (disambiguation). ...

Josiah Wedgwood was also the patriarch of the Darwin — Wedgwood family. Many of his descendants were closely involved in the management of the company down to the time of the merger with the Waterford Company: The Darwin — Wedgwood family was a prominent English family, descended from Erasmus Darwin and Josiah Wedgwood, the most notable member of which was Charles Darwin. ...

• John Wedgwood (1766–1844), eldest son of Josiah I, partner in the firm from 1790 to 1793 and again from 1800 to 1812.
• Josiah Wedgwood II (1769-1843), second son of Josiah I, succeeded his father as proprietor in 1795 and introduced the production by the Wedgwood company of bone china.
• In 1815, during Josiah II's time as proprietor, the great English Romantic poet William Blake (1757-1827) spent some time engraving for Wedgwood's china catalogues.
• Josiah Wedgwood III (1795-1880), son of Josiah II, he was a partner in the firm from 1825 until he retired in 1842.
• Francis Wedgwood (1800-1880), son of Josiah II, he was a partner in the firm from 1827 and sole proprietor following his father's death until joined by his own sons. Financial difficulties caused him to offer for sale soon after taking over the firm's factory at Etruria and the family home Etruria Hall, but in the event and fortunately for the company only the hall was sold. He continued as senior partner until his retirement to Barlaston Hall in 1876.
• Godfrey Wedgwood (1833-1905), son of Francis Wedgwood, partner in the firm from 1859 to 1891. He and his brothers were responsible for the reintroduction of bone china c.1876 and the employment of the artists Thomas Allen and Emile Lessore.
• Clement Wedgwood (1840-1889), son of Francis Wedgwood, partner.
• Laurence Wedgwood (1844-1913), son of Francis Wedgwood, partner.
• Major Cecil Wedgwood DSO (1863-1916), son of Godfrey Wedgwood, partner from 1884, first Mayor of the federated County Borough of Stoke-on-Trent (1910-1911). He was chairman and managing director of Wedgwood until his death in battle in 1916.
• Kennard Laurence Wedgwood (1873-1949), son of Laurence Wedgwood, partner. In 1906 he went to the United States and set up the firm's New York office, which became Josiah Wedgwood and Sons USA, an incorporated subsidiary, in 1919.
• Francis Hamilton Wedgwood (1867-1930), eldest son of Clement Wedgwood, chairman and managing director from 1916 until his sudden death in 1930.
• Josiah Wedgwood, 1st Baron Wedgwood (Josiah Wedgwood IV), (1872-1943), son of Clement Wedgwood. He was a distinguished Labour Party (UK) politician and Member of Parliament for Newcastle-under-Lyme for 36 years until elevated to a seat on the Labour benches in the House of Lords by Winston Churchill in 1942.
• Josiah Wedgwood V (1899-1968) son of Josiah Wedgwood IV, the Managing Director of the firm from 1930 until 1968 and credited with turning the company's fortunes around. He was responsible for the enlightened decision to move production to a modern purpose built factory in a rural setting at Barlaston. It was designed by Keith Murray in 1936 and built between 1938 and 1940. He was succeeded as managing director by Arthur Bryan (later Sir Arthur) who was the first non-member of the Wedgwood family to run the firm.

• Dr. John Wedgwood (1919-2007), elder son of Josiah Wedgwood V, was a noted British physician.

Enoch Wedgwood, a cousin of Josiah's, was also a potter. There were other Wedgwoods in British public life (in addition to those named here) who are mostly related to the extended family of Josiah Wedgwood. John Wedgwood (Christened 2 April 1766 — 26 January 1844), the eldest son of the potter Josiah Wedgwood, was a partner in the Wedgwood pottery firm from 1790-1793, and again 1800-1812. ... Josiah Wedgwood II (1769-1843) was Member of Parliament for Stoke-on-Trent. ... Bone china is type of porcelain body first developed in the Britain in which calcined ox bone, bone ash, is a major constituent. ... Romanticism largely began as a reaction against the prevailing Enlightenment ideals of the day. ... William Blake (November 28, 1757 – August 12, 1827) was an English poet, visionary, painter, and printmaker. ... Josiah Joe Wedgwood III (1795–11 March 1880), a grandson of the English potter Josiah Wedgwood. ... Francis Wedgwood (25 November 1800 — 2 October 1888) a grandson of the English potter Josiah Wedgwood. ... The Etruria Works was a porcelain factory opened by Josiah Wedgwood in England during June, 1769. ... Etruria Hall in Etruria, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire was the home of the potter Josiah Wedgwood. ... Barlaston Hall is a Palladian English country house near the village of Barlaston in Staffordshire, overlooking the valley of the River Trent 5 miles south of Stoke-on-Trent. ... Godfrey Wedgwood (22 January 1833 - 9 October 1905) was a partner in the Wedgwood pottery firm from 1859 to 1891. ... Bone china is type of porcelain body first developed in the Britain in which calcined ox bone, bone ash, is a major constituent. ... The list below includes the aldermen of Chicago in order by ward. ... Clement Francis Wedgwood (25 February 1840 - 24 January 1889) partner in the Wedgwood pottery firm. ... Laurence Wedgwood (1844 - 5 May 1913) director of the Wedgwood pottery firm. ... Major Cecil Wedgwood. ... This page is about Stoke-on-Trent in England. ... Kennard Laurence Wedgwood (11 November 1873-1949) partner in the Wedgwood pottery firm and who imported Wedgwood wares into North America. ... Frank Wedgwood Francis Hamilton Frank Wedgwood (9 October 1867 - 29 October 1930) JP and High Sheriff was a partner in the Wedgwood pottery firm. ... Colonel Josiah Clement Wedgwood, 1st Baron Wedgwood, DSO sometimes referred to as Josiah Wedgwood IV (16 March 1872 – 26 July 1943) was a British Liberal and Labour politician who served in government under Ramsay MacDonald. ... The Labour Party is a political party in the United Kingdom. ... A Member of Parliament, or MP, is a representative elected by the voters to a parliament. ... , For the larger local government district, see Borough of Newcastle-under-Lyme. ... Churchill redirects here. ... Josiah Wedgwood V (October 20, 1899-May 18, 1968) was the Managing Director of the Wedgwood pottery firm from 1930 until 1968 and credited with turning the companys fortunes around. ... Barlaston is a village and civil parish in the borough of Stafford in the county of Staffordshire, England. ... Keith Murray (born in Brooklyn, New York in 1974 is a rapper and a member of the rap trio Def Squad, which included fellow rappers Redman and Erick Sermon. ... Sir Arthur Bryan KBE (born 1923) is former managing director of the Wedgwood pottery firm (now Waterford Wedgwood). ... Enoch Wedgwood (1813-1879) was a potter, founder in 1860 of the pottery firm Wedgwood & Co of Tunstall, Stoke-on-Trent. ...

The company from 1968

In 1986, Waterford Glass Group plc purchased Wedgwood plc for 360 million USD, with Wedgwood delivering a 38.7 million USD profit in 1998 (when Waterford itself lost 28.9 million USD), following which the group was renamed Waterford Wedgwood.

From early 1987 to early 1989, the CEO was Patrick Byrne, previously of Ford, who then became CEO of the whole group. During his time, he sold off non-core businesses, and reduced the range of Wedgwood patterns from over 400 to around 240.

In the late 1990's, the CEO was Brian Patterson. From 1 January 2001, the Deputy CEO was Tony O'Reilly, Junior, who was appointed CEO in November of the same year and resigned in September 2005, succeeded by the then president of Wedgwood USA, Moira Gavin.

The company today incorporates Coalport, Mason's and Johnson Brothers wares. It continues to be headquartered at Barlaston, in 200 acres of grounds.

Wedgwood Museums and the Museum Trust

The founder wrote as early as 1774 that he wished he had preserved samples of all the company's works, and began to do so. The first formal museum was opened in May 1906, with a curator named Isaac Cooke, at the main (Etruria) works. The museum was stored for the duration of World War II, and relaunched in a gallery at the new Barlaston factory in 1952. A new purpose-built Visitor Centre and Museum was built in 1975, and remodelled in 1985, with pieces displayed near items from the old factory works, in cabinets of similar period. A video theatre was added, and a new giftshop, as well as an expanded demonstration area where visitors could watch pottery being made. A further renovation, costing 4.5 million pounds, was carried out in 2000, including access to the main factory itself, following which the Visitor Centre complex won multiple awards. Adjacent to the museum and visitor centre are a restaurant and tea room, serving on Wedgwood ware.

The museum, now in the care of a dedicated Trust, is closed at this time (April 2008), following an announcement by the company that it wished to enlarge the "visitor experience". The expanded Museum and Visitor Centre is due to open during autumn 2008.

Wedgwood locality

Wedgwood railway station was opened in the 1950s to serve the Wedgwood complex in Staffordshire, England. Wedgwood railway station was opened by British Rail in the 1950s to serve the Wedgwood complex in Staffordshire, England. ... Staffordshire (abbreviated Staffs) is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ...

External links

• Official website
• Wedgwood museum
• Wedgwood Society of Boston
• Wedgwood Waterford
• Your Icons Highlights from the Wedgwood Museum collection