Campbellfield Pottery

Overview

This pottery was first established in the Gallowgate, in the east end of Glasgow. It is thought that it was mainly a brick and tile works using the local clay. The Campbellfield Estate was purchased by a William Wilson in 1819

As well as owning Campbellfield, the Cambuslang Brick & Tile Works, and the Pretty Three Brickworks; Wilson also owned the Barlinnie estate, where he had a fire-clay works (part of this estate was sold for the building of the Barlinnie prison).

Wilson went bankrupt in 1849. His son William junior bought the works in 1849 and ran it until 1874 when he sold it to a potter, William Rankine Currie.

At this point it is thought that Currie produced stoneware, Rockingham ware and white earthenware jam jars. It is not thought that the Gallowgate pottery produced any transfer printed wares.

Currie formed “The Campbellfield Pottery Company Limited” in 1881 with the express purpose of purchasing the Springburn Pottery of William McAdam, formerly of Hydepark Pottery. The Springburn works was a newly built factory having been completed in 1879.

It was at this works that Currie and his manager William Arnott produced a range of transfer printed pieces for the domestic and Irish market. The Springburn works continued until 1899 when the company went into voluntary liquidation.

The Gallowgate works closed in 1885.

Main Products

Red ware, stoneware, transfer-printed wares, whiteware, salt glaze and spongeware were produced at various times.

William Wilson is known to have produced stoneware, with a well made barrel shown in the gallery. An advertisement of 1852 lists “bricks, tiles and gas retorts, fireclay octagonal chimney cans, salt glazed sewerage pipes, and red clay water pipes of all sizes, common chimney cans, flower pots, house and drain tiles, etc., etc.”
Some of Wilson’s Campbellfield bricks have been found in the ruins of the main house of The Alliance Sugar Plantation, Suriname, in South America.

Stoneware bottles were produced for exported to Chile, specifically made for commissioning agents, A G Scott & Rogers & Co. These names are found impressed on bottles.

Sherds also exist from the Campbellfield site of a rare blue sprigged bottle, which is marked for a beer retailer, Rothenburger, which existed in Argentina.

General bottles were being produced for sale directly to breweries, including marked pieces for Australia. Bottles are also found in the USA and Ireland.

Transferware and earthenware it seems was mostly for the domestic and Irish markets.

Articles in SPHR

Articles in Bulletin (Members only)

Typical Backstamps & Marks

“C.P. Co. Ltd” , “CP.Co”
Considerable confusion has arisen with this mark, due to its use by other potteries, including Scottish potteries of Clyde and Elgin/Mile-end.
“Wm Wilson”, “Campbellfield Pottery, Wilson, Glasgow”, “A.G. Scott & Co” (Retailer), “Campbellfield Glasgow” – all found on stoneware.