• The original partners were William Emerson Oulsnam, William Holdcroft and Ralph Unwin (the '& Co') operating at the Soho works in Tunstall. 

• In December 1858 Unwin left the business which continued as Oulsnam and Holdcroft. 

• In August 1867 William Holdcroft left the business which was continued by Oulsnam as W. E. Oulsnam. 

• Around 1872 the business was renamed to W. E. Oulsnam & Sons - the other partners were Thomas Mayer Oulsnam, William Ross Oulsnam, Joseph Hancock Oulsnam and William Emerson Oulsnam Jnr. 
  By this time the business had moved to Newcastle Street, Burslem. 

• In March 1882 William Emerson Oulsnam Snr died. The business was continued by his sons. The name W. E. Oulsnam & Sons was retained. 

• In January 1885  William Ross and Joseph Hancock Oulsnam left the business which was continued by the remaining two partners. 

• Around 1892 the business closed and W E Oulsnam Jnr was declared bankrupt. 
  

NOTE: In 1853, "at the age of ten years, Samuel Gibson started his career in the packing house with Oulsnam & Holdcroft, of the Soho Works, Tunstall. From the packing house he passed to the glass warehouse, thence to the counting house, and, having acquired an all-round knowledge of the pottery trade, he ultimately reached a managership."
Gibson went on to start his own business in 1875 as Gibson, Sudlow & Co and then in 1885 as Gibson & Sons which was one of the largest teapot manufacturers in the world at that time. 

The London Gazette
27th May 1859 

notice that Ralph Unwin had left the partnership

The London Gazette
16th August 1867

notice that William Holdcroft had left the partnership
which continued as W. E. Oulsnam

OULSNAM, William Emmerson (1826/7-82), tobacco dealer/earthenware manufacturer, 
Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent, England

William E Oulsnam was born in Stanley, Leek, about 1826. He had moved from Penkridge, Staffs to Burslem 

By 1847 he was in business with Obadiah Williams (possibly his brother-in-law), as a tobacco dealer (Oulsnam & Williams) in Port Vale Street, Dale Hall. WEO left this partnership in February 1870 - Obadiah Williams continued on his own account. The London Gazette, 1 March 1870. 

In 1852 he started in business as an earthenware manufacturer at the Soho Works in High Street, Tunstall, trading as Oulsnam and Holdcroft, and he also had a crate making business at Greenfields, Tunstall. 

By 1872 he was in partnership with his son(s) at the Furlong Works, Burslem, making earthenware.

He was a member of the Tunstall Board of Health and served as chief bailiff in 1869. He was on the Burslem Board of Health 1875-6 and 1877-8. From at least 1861 he lived at 4 Newport Street, Burslem.

With his wife Mary, Oulsnam had four sons.

WEO died in Southport on 1 March 1882.

Courtesy: People of the Potteries'

SOURCES:  National Index to Wills and Administrations; Burslem Board of Health Annual Reports; Census 1861, 1884; Dir. 1867: Tunstall Board of Health Annual Reports;

Oulsnam produced a range of white ironstone ware in this design - including jugs, teapots and tureens 

1867 - c.1872 

the mark incorporates the Royal Arms 

more on ironstone 

this pattern was also produced with hand colouring added

c.1872 - 1892

platter in the Asiatic Pheasants pattern 

c.1872 - 1892