Ouseburn, Ouseburn Old Pottery

HER Number:
4677

District:
Newcastle

Site Name:
Ouseburn, Ouseburn Old Pottery

Place:
Ouseburn

Map Sheet:
NZ26SE

Class:
Industrial

Site Type: Broad:
Pottery Manufacturing Site

Site Type: Specific:
Pottery Works

General Period:
Post Medieval

Specific Period:
C18

Form of Evidence:
Documentary Evidence

Description:
As early as 1757 "Mr Hilcot" transferred his pottery business from the South Shore, Gateshead to the Ouseburn. In 1769 William Hillcoat had a factory in the Ouseburn and a shop on the quay. He appears as potter in the Directory of 1778. By 1786 a partnership took over: Backhouse, Hillcoat & Co. In 1790 the firm was Hillcoat, Brown & Backhouse; Brown being half owner. By 1801 Robert Yelloley took over the works, which existed well into the C19. All kinds of fine pottery were made, including cream ware. Shown on Wood's Plan of 1827 (owned by M. Elliot) and on Oliver's map of 1844. Messrs T & J Thompson Flint Grinders & Earthenware Manufacturers were tenants of the Elliot family who owned the two flint grinding mills; Elliots were very successful, having begun with water-powered flint mills they acquired or had built the earthenware works that they subsequently let to Messrs T & J Thompson. The ground flint was for use in the earthenware trade, so it isn't surprising that Elliot also invested in that trade. Certainly by the 1830s, Elliot owns that pottery, as Thos Oliver records in his survey of 1830 (the pottery buildings - item 6 on map - freehold, Hy & Wm Elliot). Trade directories record T & J Thompson thus: 1827 Thompson, Thos & Co, flint & mineral grinders, Ouseburn and Thompson, T & J, earthenware manufacturers, Ouseburn Pottery. 1829 Thompson, Thos & Co, flint grinders, Ouseburn and Thompson, Thos & Jos, earthenware manufacturers, Ouseburn. 1831 Thompson, Thos, R Reay & John Harrison (57, 58, 58a) flint mill, terrace (back Stepney Bank) & terrace (foot of Stepney bank) Thos Oliver’s Survey & Schedule. 1833 Thompson, T & J, earthenware manufacturers, Ouseburn and Reay and Thompson, flint & mineral grinders, Ouseburn. 1834 Thompson, Thos & Jos, earthenware manufacturers, Ouseburn Pottery and Thompson, Thomas, flint grinders, Ouseburn. 1838 Thompson, T & J, earthenware manufacturers, Ouseburn and Reay, Thompson & Co, flint & mineral grinders, Ouseburn. Could this be the 'Railway Bridge Pottery' run by E. Rogers between 1857-8? Rogers took over from Morrow and Parke. He enlarged the pottery but left in 1858, succeeded by William Blakey. Archaeological remains consisting of sandstone and brick walls were located during a 2010 watching brief by NPA relating to 19th and 20th century industrial use of the site. A brick structure was found during a WB in 2009.

Easting:
2630

Northing:
6466

Grid Reference:
NZ26306466

Lats/Lons:

Sources:
<< HER 4677 >> Ove Arup & Partners, 1998, Lower Steenberg's Yard - Byker, Engineering Study T. Oliver, 1844, Map of Newcastle and Gateshead P.J. Davidson, 1986, Brickworks of the North East, pp 68-9 R.C. Bell, 1986, Maling and other Tyneside Pottery Tyne and Wear County Council, 1981, Maling - A Tyneside Pottery R.C. Bell, 1971, Tyneside Pottery R.C. Bell & M.A.V. Gill, 1973, The Potteries of Tyneside F. Buckley, 1929, Potteries on the Tyne and Other Northern Potteries during the C188, Archaeologia Aeliana, series 4, p68-82 D.K. Gray, 1985, Introduction to Maling S. Moore & C. Ross, 1989, Maling, The Trademark of Excellence J.T. Shaw, 1973, The Potteries of Wearside; information from Mike Greatbatch 2013 The Archaeological Practice Ltd., 2006, Foundry Lane, Ouseburn, Newcastle upon Tyne, Archaeological Assessment; NPA, 2010, Foundry Lane, Newcastle upon Tyne - Archaeological Watching Brief; NPA, 2009, Foundry Lane, Newcastle upon Tyne - Archaeological Watching Brief;