Taylor, Tunnicliff & Co

Taylor, Tunnicliff & Co (1901) Ltd






 

Location and period of operation:

Taylor, Tunnicliff & Co

Hanley

1867

present (2021)

 

NOTE: Around 1896 company started to produce porcelain for electrical insulators and by 1898 production was almost exclusively focused on industrial ceramics. 

Earthenware and china manufacturer at Eastwood, Hanley and the Albion Works in Longton, Stoke-on-Trent, England.

  • The company was founded in 1867 by Thomas Taylor and William Tunnicliff to manufacture domesting earthenware. 

  • Thomas Taylor (b.1833, Birmingham, England) spent twelve years at James McIntyre & Co., potters of Burslem. In 1867 he commenced business with Major William Tunnicliff (who served as an apprentice with James Edward & Son, Dalehall, Burslem and subsequently worked at Joseph Clarke, Burslem). 

  • The partners were Thomas Taylor, William Tunnicliff, George Lander and Richard Henry Gove. 

  • In August 1868 R H Grove retired from the business. 

  • Originally at the Havelock Works, Broad Street, Hanley. Around 1877 the business moved to "extensive and modern works" at Eastwood, Hanley. Activities carried on were as 'Earthenware Manufacturers and Flint Stone and Colour Grinders'

  • In June 1896 William Tunnicliff retired from the business. 

  • The company started to produce porcelain for electrical insulators and by 1898 production was almost exclusively focused on industrial business. 

  • In February 1901 the business was voluntarily wound up, having sold the business and assets to Taylor, Tunnicliff & Co (1901) Ltd.

  • In 1938, under the Chairmanship of Sir John Kent, a holding comapany was formed as Taylor, Tunnicliff (Electrical Industries) Ltd to control the Companies in the Taylor Tunnicliff group comprising: Taylor Tunnicliff & Co. Ltd., Hanley and Stone; Taylor Tunnicliff (Refractories) Limited, Longton; Electric & Ordnance Accessories Co. Ltd., Shelton; with a majority holding in Electric Transmission Ltd., at Etruria.

  • In June 1959 Taylor, Tunnicliff (Electrical Industries) Ltd entered voluntary liquidation in order to amalgamate with Bullers Ltd, the operating subsidiaries were sold to Allied Insulators Ltd.  

  • In 1959 the manufacturing facility at Eastwood, Hanley was closed and the works in Normacot Road, Longton became the head office. 

  • In 1985 when Allied Insulators became part of the Insulator Division owned by Fairey Group. This division included Doulton Insulators and Hopyard Foundries and following the acquisition operated as Allied Doulton Insulators. In 1997 this division became part of the Beauford Group.

  • A management buyout in 1999 saw Allied Insulators purchased along with Wade Ceramics to form the Wade Allied Group.

  • The business eventually became part of the Technical Ceramics Division of Mantec Group Ltd, incorporating three specialist technical ceramics companies who for many years had shared the same facilities and management. These companies were Ceramic Gas Products, Fairey Filtration Systems and Taylor Tunnicliff.

  • In January 2012, the companies were formally brought together into Mantec Technical Ceramics Ltd.

  • As of 2021 Taylor, Tunnicliff Ltd continues to exist with registered offices at the Albion Works, Uttoxeter Road, Longton, Stoke-on-Trent. 

 

The London Gazette
24 August 1869 


notice that Richard Henry Grove had retired from the business 

 

 

The London Gazette
12 March 1901


notice that the business and assets be sold to
Taylor, Tunnicliff and Co (1901) Ltd 

 

 

 


Taylor, Tunnicliff, and Co., Ltd.,
china lock and door furniture manufacturers,
electrical china manufacturers, artist'
colour men, Eastwood

from..... 1907 Staffordshire Sentinel 
'Business Reference Guide to The Potteries, Newcastle & District'

 

 

 

Typical ware:

Between 1867 and 1898 Taylor, Tunnicliff & Co produced quality ware, often with gilt decoration.  They produced oil lamps and a wide range of biscuit barrels and other ware with silver and silver-plate metal lids and rims. 

After 1898 they focused on manufacturing 'utilitarian' objects, especially electrical insulators. 

Although in March 1901 they did register the design of a salad, biscuit and condiment set (reg no: 371386). 

 

 
biscuit barrel

Taylor, Tunnicliff & Co produced a wide range of biscuit barrels and other
ware with silver-plate metal lids  

 

 

 
sauce boat in the European Imari style 

 



vase for single flower bud 
perfume bottle in an oil-lamp design 
whisky decanter 

 



pin dish (4 inch dia)

in the Willow pattern

 

 

 
ceramic table menu card holders with posy flower spill vases to the back

the registration diamond shows that the design was registered on the 25th October 1883

 

 

 


oil lamp by Taylor, Tunnicliff & Co with a 
Hinks & Son's Patent burner 
Rd 43323

the lamp is not marked with Taylor, Tunnicliff but has a registration number which shows that the design for the shape of the lamp base was registered by them on 17th February 1886  

- described as "a lamp base of wasted form, the lower part of inverted baluster shape, the upper of baluster form but with a groove near the top, milled opening at the top for metal mount" (courtesy: Northern Ceramic Society)

 

 


pair of oil lamps by Taylor, Tunnicliff & Co 

the lamps incorporate the Hinks & Son's Patent oil burner 
constituent parts of the lamp 


Hinks & Son Ltd


intertwined letters T T

photos courtesy: Tony Clarke 

 

 

 


typical mark with intertwined letters for Taylor, Tunnicliff  
unusual mark but the registration number and the bottle shape show that it was made by Taylor, Tunnicliff & Co  
decorated with a deep burnt orange ground and floral gilding 
- the silver mounts have the Birmingham stamp for 1887

same shape scent bottle, decorated with gold freckle on a brown background 
and a  gold, raised central band - - the silver mounts were made by Saunders and Shepherd, manufacturing jewellers of London 

photos courtesy: Beth Ingram 

the registration number 79841 shows that the design for this scent bottle shape was registered by Taylor Tunnicliff on the 31st August 1887 
which is described as "a scent bottle of globular fluted body with tall cylindrical neck, the neck rim milled for metal mount" (courtesy: Northern Ceramic Society)

 

 

Marks used on ware for identification:

 

   

typical marks with the intertwined letters T T

c.1875-98   

 

 


Taylor Tunnicliff
& Co Ltd
England

 

 

   
Granitine was a trade mark used for darkroom porcelain  

 

Granitine was a trade mark used by Taylor, Tunnicliff & Co for porcelain ware for photographic film developing and processing.  

 

 

   
T T & Co
England 

mark generally used on electrical porcelain 

 

Electrical insulators:

From 1898 Taylor, Tunnicliff & Co focused almost entirely on manufacturing industrial ware, particularly electrical insulators. 

 

 

1922 advert for Taylor, Tunnicliff & Co Ltd "Insulators of Quality" 

courtesy: Grace's Guide 

 

 


Taylor Tunnicliff
Porcelain Insulation

Prestige and Progress - A Survey of Industrial North Staffordshire
1955 publication of North Staffordshire Chamber of Commerce - page 70

 

 

 


low voltage electrical insulator by Taylor, Tunnicliff & Co 
typical T T & Co England mark

 

 

The Pottery Gazette
January 1 1906  

article on Mr. Thomas Taylor, J.P. and the Taylor, Tunnicliff company

Note the misspelling of the name Tunnicliff (which does not have a letter 'e' at the end')

 

 


The selection warehouse at Taylor, Tunnicliff's Eastwood factory, Hanley

Image courtesy of: Mr Phillip Leason

photo: 1930 - Staffordshire Past Track

 

 


The Albion Works between Normacot Road and Uttoxeter Road, Longton

St. James Church is on the left 

photos: 1953 Britain from Above  

 

 


The Taylor Tunnicliff Electrical Porcelain Factory, Stone

the Trent & Mersey Canal is to the top of the works 

photos: 1953 Britain from Above  

 

Questions, comments, contributions? email: Steve Birks