A Town of Potters charged with “riot and assault” and John Wragg was charged ’s rich with stealing a teapot, ewer, jug, history bowls, cups and saucers from Mexborough Old Pottery.

The earliest documented pottery The Rock Pottery was owned in Mexborough dates from the by the industrialist John Reed. late 18th century. Mexborough In 1859 he commissioned Old Pottery, the Rock Pottery, emerging local sculptor Robert Emery’s Pottery and Alfred Glassby to produce a decorative Baguley’s Decorating Business arch for his garden. The arch can were all based in the town. now be seen in the grounds of Mexborough Almshouses. During the 19th century hundreds of potters lived and worked in This rich history is kept alive by Mexborough. They formed an collectors and enthusiasts. One active part of the community but of the leading local pottery occasionally found themselves in experts is Mexborough’s own trouble. In 1804 Ralph Whitaker, Graham Oliver, former guitarist a potter from Mexborough, was for heavy metal band Saxon.

1854 Ordnance Survey Map

Site of Mexborough Rock Pottery Beyond Colliery. The Don Pottery exported pots from Swinton Rockingham across the world. Joseph Green, The Don Pottery whose father owned the pottery, regularly visited Rio de Janeiro as a in Swinton merchant in the early 19th century.

The Greens went bankrupt in in Swinton 1834 and the Barkers then took is by far the best known of over the Don Pottery. Samuel all and Barker, from Staffordshire, also ran the products made the Mexborough Old Pottery and there are amongst the finest made a great financial success ever produced. They received of both. When his son Henry died royal commissions and had an in 1876 he left an estate worth international reputation. £50,000, the equivalent of over However, Rockingham was not £4 million today. the only large pottery in Swinton. The Don Pottery (1801-1893) was situated on the bank of the Don Navigation and used its own boat to bring in high quality coal for the from Earl Fitzwilliam’s

1904 Ordnance Survey Map

Site of Don Pottery, Swinton Pits and Pots The location was perfect. It had a local supply of , an abundance The last days of pottery of cheap coal and excellent in the transport links. The pottery included buildings for throwing and drying pots and a large Coal mines often produced their capable of firing 3000 items. own bricks onsite but in 1902, on Earl Fitzwilliam land, a pottery The manager was David Keir, a was built at Skiers Spring Colliery. potter from Whitehaven in Cumbria, The Milton Pottery was located who lived with his family on Allott where Stead Lane enters Skiers Street in . The pottery Spring Wood, south of Hoyland. employed eight men and made plant pots, kitchenware and other household items. It closed in 1937.

1929 Ordnance Survey Map

Site of Milton Pottery, Hoyland “Various articles used in the Scandal at a manufacture of China and Rural Pottery have been feloniously stolen and carried away from The Twiggs at Newhill the Premises of the said Thomas Brameld (Rockingham Pottery, Swinton) and he hath good cause In the 19th century Newhill was a to suspect, and actually doth small hamlet just south of Wath- suspects Joseph Twigg of Newhill.” upon-Dearne. In 1809 a local potter, Joseph Twigg, bought Thomas Bramelds statement under oath. some land in the area. He then set about building Newhill Pottery. At its height it employed between In spite of evidence and several 30 and 40 people, mostly women. witnesses Joseph Twigg was found not guilty. Scandal hit the pottery in 1827 when Joseph Twigg was accused Newhill Pottery stayed in the of stealing by the Bramelds of Twigg family until 1854. The Rockingham. pottery eventually closed in 1873 after various different owners had struggled to make a financial success of the site.

1855 Ordnance Survey Map

Site of Newhill Pottery, Wath-upon-Dearne Forgotten For the Forgotten Potteries project Howitt worked closely Potteries of the with communities in , and to Dearne Valley produce this contemporary A contemporary response to the theme. response by Adele Howitt “Researching the potteries of the Dearne Valley has influenced my re-interpretation of the landscape. Adele Howitt is an artist who The extensive pattern, symbols and has long been associated with aspirational landscapes found in these innovation, site specificity, and potteries are combined to create place making within the public high-end table decorations through realm. Her ceramic artwork has to utilitarian platters and tea services. been exhibited across Europe The pottery industry sustained the area for many years, sherds can still including Sweden, Spain, Croatia be found in the ground here.” and the Chelsea Flower Show. Adele Howitt

Hoyland Library Montgomery Hall, Wath-upon-Dearne

Swinton Library Swinton Lock Activity Centre Forgotten Credit must go to Heather Lawrence’s Yorkshire Pots and Potteries of the Potteries (1974) and John D. Griffin’sThe Yorkshire Potteries Dearne Valley (2012) for inspiring and informing this exhibition. The Dearne Valley Landscape Partnership and Barnsley Barnsley Arts, Museums and Museums are proud to Archives Service would like to present this exciting exhibition acknowledge the support of combining historical context and the Dearne Valley Landscape contemporary ceramic sculpture. Partnership, Heritage Lottery Fund, Swinton Lock Activity The potteries of Centre, Montgomery Hall, once rivalled those in Stoke-on- Rotherham Museums and Trent. The most famous was the Libraries Service, Barnsley world renowned Rockingham Libraries, Graham Oliver and Pottery in Swinton. During the Anthony Dockray. nineteenth century over twenty other potteries in the Don and www.discoverdearne.org.uk Dearne valleys made for a thriving /discoverdearne industrial scene that is now @DiscoverDearne largely forgotten. #ForgottenPotteries

Yorkshire artist, Adele Howitt, worked with local communities to produce work in response to the theme of the forgotten potteries. Howitt has exhibited across the UK and Europe, combining narrative and form to create beautiful individual pieces.