 |
The Davenport
family |
Those
who are interested in the history of the firm and its products should look at
two books, the first by Terence A Lockett, Davenport Pottery and Porcelain,
1794-1887, published in 1972, and the much larger study by Terence Lockett and
Geoffrey A Godden, Davenport, China, Earthenware & Glass, 1794-1887,
published in 1989.
Below
is a brief resume of John Davenport’s life and the history of the firm.
John Davenport was born in Leek in 1765.
As
a young man he moved to Newcastle-under-Lyme where he worked at Kinnersley’s
bank until 1785. He then worked with Thomas Wolfe, pottery manufacturer at
Stoke and became his partner in a china works at Liverpool.
John
Ward, in his History of the Borough of Stoke-upon-Trent (1843),
describes how he set up on his own account in 1794:
“Mr
John Davenport commenced business at Longport in 1794, and added, in 1797,
to his other concerns, the chemical preparation of litharge and white lead,
for the use of potters, in their glazes; but this department is now
discontinued. In 1801, the making of flint-glass, or crystal, was introduced
by them, and is still extensively can-led on; connecting with which is
steam-machinery for cutting and ornamenting it. They produce very brilliant
specimens of stained glass, and have got up some elaborate works of that
kind for church and other windows, particularly one for St Mark’s,
Liverpool; and have furnished splendid assortments for the Dukes of
Sutherland and Devonshire, the Marquis of Anglesea and Westminster, and
others of the nobility.
They have (in addition to Longport Pottery, the Top
& Bottom Bridge Works) a fourth Earthenware
manufactory at Newport, which, with a good house near it, was built by Mr
Walter Daniel, in or about the year 1795. The aggregate of their business,
indeed, is of very considerable magnitude, and gives employment to upwards
of fifteen hundred hands. Messrs Davenports’ china ware has long obtained
celebrity, not only for the excellence of its material, but for exquisite
design and embellishments. On his Majesty, King William, coming to the
throne, he gave directions for a superb service of porcelain to be made, for
the banquet to be given at the Coronation. This splendid production was, by
his Majesty’s permission, exhibited publicly at the works, at Longport,
previous to its being forwarded to St James’s; and Messrs Davenport, with
that liberality which has distinguished them on all occasions, invited the
manufacturers generally, and other neighbours, to inspect it.”
John
Davenport originally lived in the house next to the factory. He then moved
into Newport House, in a less polluted area, further up the canal before he
bought Westwood Hall, near Leek, in 1813. He continued to take an active role
in the management of the firm and in 1815 to celebrate the victory over the
French he lead a procession of his employees from Longport to Burslem, with
his manager James Mawdesley, both wearing glass hats and carrying glass
walking sticks specially made for the occasion.
He
was a highly successful entrepreneur who employed talented men to run his
factories to produce high quality ware. He was also a ruthless industrialist
who has been described as a “hard gritty capitalist”. When his sons joined
him in the business he spent most of his time involved in public affairs. He
served as a magistrate and was deputy lieutenant for Staffordshire.
In
1832 he stood as the conservative candidate in the first parliamentary
election for the Borough of Stoke-upon-Trent, and was returned with Josiah
Wedgwood II. He served as an M.P. until 1841 though he does not appear to have
taken a very active role in parliamentary affairs. He died at Westwood Hall in
1848 leaving a fortune which would have made him a multi-millionaire today.
John
Davenport’s eldest son, also John, took no part in the business and had
a successful career as a lawyer.
Henry
Davenport, his third son, who took an active role in running the business
when his father effectively retired from the firm in the 1820's, was killed in
a riding accident when he was out hunting at Baddeley Edge In 1835.
Control
of the firm then passed to the second son, William Davenport, who
became sole owner in 1848. Like his father he was a strict disciplinarian at
the factory. After a strike at the Longport factory in 1842 he sacked all
those who played a prominent role in the dispute including the father of Charles
Shaw with the result that his family were forced to seek relief In Chell
Workhouse (see “When I Was a Child”, by Charles Shaw).
However
unlike his father he was not a very competent industrialist and spent a good
deal of his time involved in public affairs and social activities. In the
1840s he was responsible for the revival of the North Staffordshire Hunt of
which he was master for 27 seasons. He rebuilt Longport
Hall but he found the surroundings uncongenial to his taste and in the
early 1850's he moved to Maer Hall where he lived the life of a country
gentleman. By the time of his death in 1869 the firm was in severe financial
difficulties.
His
son Henry Davenport who inherited the business had no real interest in the
firm and made no attempt to deal with the problems which he inherited. The
firm suffered a series of financial crises which were met by the simple
expedient of selling off parts of the business. The last factory was sold in
1887 when the firm then known as Davenports Ltd came to an end.
(1760's - mid 19th C))