"For considerably over two centuries the Wood family of Burslem has been in the forefront of those who are memorable in ceramic history. Early in the eighteenth century, as every collectors manual informs us, there were three brothers, Ralph, Aaron and Moses Wood." British Potters and Pottery Today, 1956.

This backstamp "Potters for 200 years" was introduced by Wood & Sons in the 1950s - the names represent three branches of the Wood family each of which made significant contributions to the pottery industry in Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent, England.

The dates given represent a key point in each of these people's lives. 

NOTE: In this backstamp the name of Enoch Wood was chosen to represent the Aaron Wood branch of the family. 

Ralph Wood
"Miller of Burslem"

Note that his father (d.1690)  was also named Ralph Wood.

"A miller of Burslem and also at Cheddleton, near Leek and at Bells Mills, Shelton"  He and his wife Elizabeth Hammond had 5 girls and 4 boys. 

Three of their sons, Ralph, Aaron and Moses, headed up three branches of potters.

Ralph Wood - there were three generations of potters with this name. 

Generally referred to as: Ralph Wood the elder (1715-72) - although his father was also a Ralph Wood who was a miller. Ralph Wood Jnr. (1748-95) and his son Ralph Wood III (1781-1801). 

Ralph Wood I

(Ralph Wood snr) 
'the elder'

Figure maker Potter of Burslem

1715-1772

"Ralph, the eldest, born in 1715, achieved renown round about 1750 with his famous and now rare Staffordshire figures and especially his delightful Toby Jugs"

Married Mary, daughter of Aaron Wedgwood of Burslem. 

NOTE: Often this Ralph Wood is erroneously identified as "A miller of Burslem" - it was his father who was the miller.

Ralph Wood II

(Ralph Wood jnr)
'the younger' 

Figure maker Potter of Burslem

1748-95

Brother of Josiah Wood (1742-89)

Ralph Wood III

Potter of Burslem

1781-1801

Son of Ralph Wood II

He continued the firm after his fathers death 

Josiah Wood

Potter of Burslem

1742-89

Brother of Ralph Wood II

John Wood

of Brownhills and of the Woodland Pottery, Tunstall

1778-1848

Son of Josiah Wood (1742-89)

The "Big House", Burslem, branch of the Wedgwood family, and the Wood family of Brownhills, Burslem, became linked in 1807 by the marriage of Mary Baddeley (b.1787 d.1866), grand-daughter of John Wedgwood of the "Big House", to John Wood (b.1778 d.1848) of Brownhills. 

John Wedg Wood

 of the Woodland Pottery, Tunstall

1813-57

Son of John Wood (1778-1848); great-grandson of Ralph Wood I
John Wedg Wood either already had or, more probably adopted, a middle name 'Wedg' - this rather conveniently caused his marks to been mistaken for the more famous Josiah Wedgwood 

Aaron Wood

Figure maker Modeller & Block Cutter

1717-1785

"Aaron, born in 1717, was the finest mould maker in the Potteries. He was the father of the even more celebrated Enoch Wood."

Enoch Wood

Figure maker Modeller & Block Cutter

1759-1840

"Enoch Wood, whose fame rests not only upon his great skill as a modeller, but on his ability as a practical potter and his keenness and enthusiasm as a collector of pottery.

Enoch was a man of great enterprise, with a flair for invention, whose masterly craftsmanship served to build up the considerable business of Wood and Caldwell, a partnership which endured from 1790 to 1818. In the latter year he bought out his partner and took into the business his three sons, when the firm became known as Enoch Wood and Sons."

The sons..

Enoch Wood Jnr
Joseph Wood
Edward Wood
Thomas Wood

On his death (1840) Enoch Wood had left substantial sums of money to his 7 surviving children and grandchildren but he stipulated that the legacies should not be paid until at least 5 years after his death in order not to harm the business. 

As soon as the 5 years were up his children claimed their money which drained the firm of capital and his sons closed the factory in 1845 with the result that almost a thousand people were thrown out of work.

Moses Wood

1719-1791

"To Moses, the third of the three brothers, can be traced the beginning of an unbroken succession of seven generations of Master Potters, a tradition covering more than two centuries, to which the members of the firm of today (Wood & Sons) can look back with pride and satisfaction."