10 Pc English Hammersley & Co Rose Point Strawberry Basket Tea Serving Set

Description

Vintage 10 piece serving set by Hammersley & Company. White bone china with gilded details. Set includes handled serving tray with creamer and sugar bowl in the Rose Point pattern, butter dish and lid, and five flower shaped nut dishes / coasters by Shelley England.

"Hammersley & Company - The company was founded in Longton, England, in 1862. It was established as Adams, Scrivener & Co. The third owner was Titus Hammersley. After Mr. Scrivener's retirement, the company was continued by Adams and Hammersley as Harvey Adams & Co.
Titus Hammersley died in 1875, and was succeeded by his eldest son, George Harris Hammersley. Finally, in 1885, Harvey Adams retired, leaving George Hammersley in charge of Hammersley & Co. His partner in the firm was Sarah Hammersley. Three years later, the management was taken over by Gilbert Hemmersley (George's brother). Later, Gilbert's sons Eric and Leslie joined the company.
In 1932, the company was renamed Hammersley and Co (Longton) Ltd. They moved from the Sunderland Road Works in Longton to the Alsager Pottery. Alsager China was used as a trademark.
In 1970, the company was purchased by Carborundum Limited, which merged with Royal Worcester six years later to form Royal Worcester Spode Ltd.
In 1982, the Hammersley name was purchased by Palissy Pottery Ltd. However, Hammersley's Works were closed.
In 1989, the Hammersley name was bought by Aynsley China, which operated until 2014, when the factory closed."

"Shelley Potteries, situated in Staffordshire, was earlier known as Wileman & Co. which had also traded as The Foley Potteries. The first Shelley to join the company was Joseph Ball Shelley in 1862 and in 1896 his son Percy Shelley became the sole proprietor, after which it remained a Shelley family business until 1966 when it was taken over by Allied English Potteries. Its china and earthenware products were many and varied although the major output was table ware. In the late Victorian period the Art Nouveau style pottery and Intarsio ranges designed by art director Frederick Alfred Rhead were extremely popular but Shelley is probably best known for its fine bone china “Art Deco” ware of the inter-war years and post-war fashionable tea ware. Wileman refers to a backstamped version of which predates Shelley-branded porcelain. The factory that manufactured this brand of porcelain was located in Longton, Staffordshire, England.

The origins of Shelley pottery were in the district known as Foley, at the factory of Messrs. Elkin, Knight & Bridgwood which by 1829 had a powerful steam engine and flint Mill. Knight became sole proprietor of the business in 1853 but shortly afterwards took Henry Wileman as a partner, trading as Knight & Wileman. Three years later Knight retired and Henry Wileman continued the business in his own name. In 1862 Henry Wileman employed Joseph Shelley as a travelling salesman. In 1864 Henry Wileman died and his two sons James F and Charles J took over the business. Two years later the business was split, James managed the earthenware factory whilst Charles managed the china factory. Charles Wileman retired in 1870 and James became sole proprietor of this factory. Joseph Shelley was taken into partnership with James Wileman in 1872, but only for the china factory. The company became known as Wileman & Co and used the backstamp "Foley".

In 1881 Joseph's son Percy Shelley joined the company. Joseph Shelley died in June 1896, leaving Percy in sole control of the company. Notable early designers and arts directors of the company included Rowland Morris (1896), Frederick Alfred Rhead (1896), Walter Slater (ca. 1905). Shortly before the 1st World War two of Percy’s sons, Percy Norman and Vincent Bob, joined the family company. Kenneth Jack, the other son, joined as well after the war. In 1919 Eric Slater, Walter’s son joined the company. The company was still called Wileman & Co, even though it had been controlled by the Shelley family for over fifty years and on 1 January 1925 the Shelley name and trademark was registered.

In the mid twenties Shelley broke with tradition and employed a well known illustrator of the time, Hilda Cowham, to produce a range of nursery ware. Cowham designed a series called Playtime; the design was a simple representation of children's activities. In 1926 Shelley introduced a second well known illustrator – Mabel Lucie Attwell. Her first six designs portrayed scenes involving children, animals and small green elves in green suits – these were called 'Boo Boos'. Another design that proved very popular during this period was the Harmony and Harmony drip ware; this decoration was produced on almost everything that Shelley manufactured.

In January 1929 the company became a limited company with Percy Shelley and his three sons being equal shareholders. In 1932 Percy Shelley retired after being the proprietor for almost fifty years, he moved to Bournemouth and died in 1937. In 1933 Kenneth Jack died in hospital after an operation. Walter Slater retired as Arts Director in 1937, his son Eric took over as Arts Director.

In December 1945 Vincent Bob suddenly died. In January 1946 Eric Slater and Ralph Tatton were elected onto the board of directors to serve with Percy Norman Shelley who became the managing director. Vincent Bob's eldest son Alan joined the firm in the autumn of 1946 after serving in the navy. He took the position of Sales Director. Donald Alan's brother joined the firm two years later after obtaining an Honours Degree in Natural Sciences at Cambridge University. Donald became the Technical Director.

Donald was encouraged by Percy Norman Shelley to follow his technical and scientific ideas. By 1956 he had been successful in developing and manufacturing the Top Hat Kiln. In May that year Shelley Potteries formed a subsidiary company, Shelley Electric Furnaces Ltd. This company began constructing kilns for other companies.

In May 1965 Shelley Potteries Ltd changed their name to Shelley China Ltd. In May 1966 Percy Norman Shelley died. In June 1966 Shelley China Ltd became part of Allied English Potteries (A.E.P.). After fulfilling all outstanding orders, the production of Shelley ware stopped. The factory was named "Montrose Works" and Royal Albert ware was produced at the works until the early eighties. Royal Doulton was also part of A.E.P., along with several other pottery companies, and as Royal Doulton was better known the Royal Doulton name came to the fore. When the factory closed most of the old buildings were demolished.

Condition

Good Overall - Butter dish/bone dishes mismatched brands; gentle wear to gilding

Dimensions

11.5” x 10.25” x 4.25” (Width x Depth x Height)