Overview
The first note of a pottery established on the Kingfield site in the Calton district is in 1803 operated by Samuel Austin. The same site housed a brickwork owned by John and then William Anderson, however there is no record of their production of pottery.
In 1819, John Austin took charge. 1824 under William Austin and then Austin & Co. potters in 1825 until 1829 when it passed quickly through a series of hands from Eadie & Co., 1830 R. Rankin, 1831 Walter McFarlane and in 1832 Alexander Paterson. Paterson left the Kingsfield Pottery in 1837 and became the manager of the Wellington Pottery and later the manager of the Clayknowes brickworks in 1839.
The works seem to have been vacant from 1838, then William Grant Junior took on the works until it closed in 1847.
Main Products
Black basalt wares are the most commonly attributed ware.
William Grant is known to have produced small China “fancy goods” probably for the tourist market.
Carpet bowls are known from the advertisement during the Grant period, which also notes China Figures, Ornaments, Marbles, Toys, etc.
There has been relatively little research carried out into the ownership and the wares they produced, whether or not they continued with the same products as before.
Articles in SPHR
- 6 - King St Pottery
- 11 - Basalt Attributions
- 27 - Kingfield Pottery
Articles in Bulletin (Members only)
Typical Backstamps
- No marked wares are known
Pattern Names
- None known
Other Publications & Links
Public Collections
- None known
Other Information
Due to the short life-span of the pottery, its primary function as a brickworks, probably subleased to pottery managers, make attribution of pieces very difficult.
J Arnold Fleming’s “Scottish Ceramics” depicts several pieces of black basalt identified as Kingfield, but no citations are made and their common design makes certain attribution impossible.