The Seacombe Pottery, Liverpool factory was established by John Goodwin in 1852. J. Goodwin was considered a prestigious potter during the 19th century and his goods were in high demand all over the world. He moved the Seacombe pottery to Liverpool to be closer to the docks for export trade to the Americas, Russia, Colonial Canada and Asia. Once the factory was set up, which consisted of six (6) domed shaped kilns and several workshops located near the Seacombe Smalt Works. He sent for the workers from his Staffordshire pottery, which operated from 1840 - 1850 at Lane End. The Seacombe pottery gained widespread popularity, along with the demand for his crockery. In 1870 a large consignment of cargo being sent by ship to America was ship wrecked during a violent storm somewhere in the Atlantic and sunk with all its precious cargo on board. The Seacombe Pottery was not able to recover from this great loss and voluntarily liquidated the business in 1871. Today, Seacombe Pottery is highly prized and sought after by collectors and a large part can be found in the National Canadian Museum
God help us, Come yourself, Don't send Jesus, This is no place for children.
Referring to my first post it appears yet another author has moved Wirral and in particular Seacombe to Liverpool. More information found does seem to place the Kilns in Seacombe.
'Seacombe Pottery was founded by John Goodwin in 1852 and existed for some twelve years. He hailed from Lane End (now called Longton) in Staffordshire. He was a manufacturer and moved to Seacombe in order to be nearer the docks for his trade with South America, Turkey, California and other places abroad. While he was in his sixties, he and his wife Mary, with their family, moved to set up his pottery. Two of their eight children had died at Lane End. They came to live in a house in Weltand Lane. The pottery had six large kilns and was said to be one of the best potteries in the country at the time. It was built next to John Horbury's small sugar refinery and by the smalt works of Mawdsley and Smith's. His workers came from Staffordshire and it must have been strange to hear the different dialect in Poulton and Seacombe in those days. They lived in Wheatland Lane, Mersey Street and the surrounding areas. They formed their own community. John Goodwin and family moved to a house on Mornington Terrace. He employed 115 people, 29 being women, in 1861. Most of his workers were youngish men. Charles Hewitt, who worked with John Goodwin, was a Baptist and often led the worship in the Baptist meetings in the Old Kings Arms yard. Some of the workers in the pottery were children, being transferers, dippers and the like. On 16th February 1856, Mary Goodwin died, aged 59 years, after suffering for three weeks, and was buried at St John's Church. Within a short time John Goodwin decided to retire and the sons took over. This is the time he moved to Mornington Terrace. He missed his wife a great deal and died on 4th May 1857 at the age of 65. Their grave, at St John's Church, is close to the railings in Liscard Road. Some of the sons of John Goodwin moved away and the pottery was managed by Charles Hewitt. A great deal of the crockery made at the pottery was shipped to various parts of the world. It has often been said that the closure of the firm was caused by the loss of a shipment on its way to America, when the boat was hit by a heavy gale. The boat sank, and all the cargo was lost. Three of the sons decided to give up their interest in the pottery and Thomas Goodwin ran the business'
Also, John Horbury Sugar refinery and Mawdsley and Smiths smelt works were at Seacombe.
God help us, Come yourself, Don't send Jesus, This is no place for children.
Referring to my first post it appears yet another author has moved Wirral and in particular Seacombe to Liverpool. More information found does seem to place the Kilns in Seacombe.
'Seacombe Pottery was founded by John Goodwin in 1852 and existed for some twelve years. He hailed from Lane End (now called Longton) in Staffordshire. He was a manufacturer and moved to Seacombe in order to be nearer the docks for his trade with South America, Turkey, California and other places abroad. While he was in his sixties, he and his wife Mary, with their family, moved to set up his pottery. Two of their eight children had died at Lane End. They came to live in a house in Weltand Lane. The pottery had six large kilns and was said to be one of the best potteries in the country at the time. It was built next to John Horbury's small sugar refinery and by the smalt works of Mawdsley and Smith's. His workers came from Staffordshire and it must have been strange to hear the different dialect in Poulton and Seacombe in those days. They lived in Wheatland Lane, Mersey Street and the surrounding areas. They formed their own community. John Goodwin and family moved to a house on Mornington Terrace. He employed 115 people, 29 being women, in 1861. Most of his workers were youngish men. Charles Hewitt, who worked with John Goodwin, was a Baptist and often led the worship in the Baptist meetings in the Old Kings Arms yard. Some of the workers in the pottery were children, being transferers, dippers and the like. On 16th February 1856, Mary Goodwin died, aged 59 years, after suffering for three weeks, and was buried at St John's Church. Within a short time John Goodwin decided to retire and the sons took over. This is the time he moved to Mornington Terrace. He missed his wife a great deal and died on 4th May 1857 at the age of 65. Their grave, at St John's Church, is close to the railings in Liscard Road. Some of the sons of John Goodwin moved away and the pottery was managed by Charles Hewitt. A great deal of the crockery made at the pottery was shipped to various parts of the world. It has often been said that the closure of the firm was caused by the loss of a shipment on its way to America, when the boat was hit by a heavy gale. The boat sank, and all the cargo was lost. Three of the sons decided to give up their interest in the pottery and Thomas Goodwin ran the business'
Also, John Horbury Sugar refinery and Mawdsley and Smiths smelt works were at Seacombe.
Seacombe had the Seacombe Pottery, 6 kilns all in a row. This flourished up to 1873, when a shipwreck brought financial ruin, costing them dearly. Little remains of their fine products but a few examples can be seen today in the Williamson Art Gallery in Birkenhead. Seacombe also boasted a Sugar Works which existed on the dock road around 1860. Mawdsley's & Smith's Smalt works also existed on the dock road until the same year. Known to be in production before 1741. The making of smalt was of Saxon origin. Consisting of cobalt, potash and ground flint. When it was heated and dropped into cold water it shattered so finely it could be crushed into a powder for use in paintings and mixed with starch to produce coloured linens.
