UPDATE No 17

POTTERIES

Samuel(1) moved the pottery business to White Hart Lane in 1886. The site was previously occupied by Richard Sankey & Co.. The company traded on the same site until potmaking ceased on Wednesday, 5 October 1960. There was time for a last photograph. Photograph taken by Graham South using self timer - October 1960 Standing Graham South - Charles South - Owen Davies (lorry loader) - Allison (stoker) - (driver) - (potmaker) - Whitney (potmaker) - (stoker) - (potmaker) - (kiln/shed worker) - (potmaker) - Chalkley (bricklayer) - Samuel South(3) - (not known) - "Len" (shed worker). Seated Webb (potmaker) - Woor (potmaker) - Webb (potmaker) - Fred Whiting (maintenance) - Charles Tompkins (driver) - (potmaker) - (yard worker).     Not all of the employees have been identified. Can you help?

POTTERIES (cont)

Potteries 1937 - Samuel(2) standing in front of wagon When the "Atora" wagon and bullocks visited North London, the cattle were accommodated in the stables that had been used for the horses kept to deliver the pots  before motor transport was introduced. Hay was also provided for the animal acts that appeared at the Wood Green Empire. "Atora", producers of beef suet, was founded by a Frenchman, Gabriel Hugon, living in Manchester, in 1893. The present owners of the brand, McDougalls Foods Ltd., have provided the folowing information: "Between 1893 and the early part of the last war, Atora Suet was transported in colourful wagons bearing the Atora name, pulled by two bullocks. It turned out to be one of the best publicity stunts run by a nationally known firm. Later these wagons joined the famous Chippperfields Circus and took part in parades up and down the country."

THE "BUCKINGHAMSHIRE"

Joseph(1) and his family emigrated to New Zealand in March 1874 on board the "Buckinghamshire". Judith Cranefield, his granddaughter, has written a vivid description of the voyage that was circulated with an earlier Update. Enquiries with Lloyd's Registry of Shipping has established that the ship was built by Barclay, Curtis & Co. of Glasgow. The two decked vessel had an iron hull, was 238.2 feet long with a gross registered tonnage of 1533 tons. The records show that the "Buckinghamshire" was classified A1 and qualified for a "Formee Cross" signifying that "the vessel had been built under special survey". The ship, therefore, was six years old at the time of the voyage to New Zealand and was equipped to withstand the tribulations of the passage that Judith has described.

POTTERIES (further cont)

Update No 15 mentioned  horses as a major asset of the Potteries and their importance is shown by the Rules for Carman displayed for the South employees:   Maud Hickson (born 1912), daughter of John, a son of Samuel(1) has recalled the times when her family lived at Pipers Court, White Hart Lane: "When I was about 10 or 11 we used to go for a walk on a Sunday afternoon. up the Cinder path turn left at the top to Devonshire Hill Farm. Here they sold sweets & my great treat was a whipped cream walnut. We didn't have sweets during the week. Then we'd walk on through a field to the potteries & my father's job was to walk through the stables with horses on both sides, to see if all was well with them. The cart horses were so large I was very careful to walk in the middle of them."   KLB 1/99