J.& G. Meakin Sterling Colonial English Ironstone Sugar Bowl ENGLAND

Description

Vintage J.& G. Meakin Sterling Colonial English Ironstone Sugar Bowl ENGLAND
This J&G Meakin Sugar Bowl is the "Sterling Colonial" pattern in Renaissance Green. It is in
excellent condition with NO chips, cracks, or crazing. The colors, pattern, design are all in perfect
condition. This bowl measures 6" wide from the outside edge of each handle. It is 2 5/8" at the top
and approx. 3 1/2" at the based which is also approx. 4" wide. The sugar bowl is 3 3/4" tall at the
edge of the opening, 4 3/8" tall to the top of the handles, and 5 5/8" tall with the lid on.
J. & G. Meakin was an English pottery manufacturing company founded in 1851–1968 (Inc. 1890)
and based in Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire. They were the manufacturer of earthenware
at the Eagle Pottery (1859-1970) and the Eastwood Works (1887-1958) in Hanley, England.
Brothers James and George Meakin took over the pottery manufacturing business of their father
James Meakin in 1851, operating at Cannon St, Hanley. James Meakin junior died in 1885 and
George Meakin in 1891, but the family business (incorporated as J. & G. Meakin Ltd in 1890)
continued first under George Eliot Meakin (son of George Meakin), from 1891 to 1927 and then
under Bernard Meakin (son of George’s brother James) from 1927 until his retirement in 1955.
Family control of the business ceased in about 1958 when management control was acquired by
pottery entrepreneurs J. W. E. Grundy and A. Derek Jones. W. R. Midwinter Ltd was acquired
through a friendly merger in September 1968 and the two companies continued to operate
independently as subsidiaries of Meakin & Midwinter (Holdings) Ltd. In January 1970 Wedgwood
made an offer for the whole share capital of J. & G. Meakin Ltd and Meakin (and its subsidiary
Midwinter) became part of the Wedgwood Group. J. & G. Meakin Ltd continued as a quasi-
independent entity within the Wedgwood Group until 1980 when it became part of Wedgwood’s
Creative Tableware Division (with Midwinter, Johnson Bros, and others). Meakin shapes and
patterns were subsumed into the Johnson Bros. earthenware brand from c.1991 and use of the
Meakin brand name had been abandoned by 2000.
In the 19th and early 20th centuries, J. & G. Meakin were important, large-scale producers of good
quality, ironstone tableware (‘White Granite’ ware) that met a ready market in the United States,
South America, Australia, and other traditional British markets and by the 1890s the company was
one of the world’s largest earthenware manufacturers. Although export teaware and tableware was
the factory’s staple, Meakin also manufactured toilet ware, kitchen ware and a wide range of fancy
earthenware.