Caledonian Pottery

This Glasgow pottery was founded in 1800 by Robert Reid, Paterson & Co on the banks of the Monkland Canal in Garngadhill (modern day Royston, Glasgow), its skilled workforce being drawn from Staffordshire. From the outset a very wide range of ware was produced, including porcelain.

There followed several changes in the company’s name to reflect partnership adjustments. Having experienced financial difficulty the Caledonian Pottery, as it had come to be known, was taken over by the Delftfield Company in 1810 who transferred operations from their old site. In 1823 Delftfield was dissolved.

Kemp & Co took charge for three years but in 1826 the pottery passed into the hands of the Murray family who retained control, albeit through various partnerships with James Couper, John Fullarton and Frederick Grosvenor until 1868 and then, under William Murray, as W F Murray & Co.

In 1872, Murray transferred operations to a large new pottery at Rutherglen while continuing to trade as W F Murray & Co. John McIintyre, William Murray’s brother in law and a Master Potter at Caledonian, then invested heavily in the company but in 1897 it was liquidated.

The prominent Aintree jam manufacturer William P Hartley was instrumental in forming a new company to operate the pottery which by now was a major supplier of his stoneware jam pots. However, by 1928 all stoneware potteries were finding it difficult to retain markets. Hartley’s switched to glass containers and the company ceased to operate.