Overview
This pottery was established by David Lockhart and Charles Arthur in Cogan Street, Pollokshaws in 1855. It is thought that Arthur learned his trade at Verreville.
David Lockhart it is thought was born in Kirkcaldy. There is certainly a Lockhart family living at 51 High Street, Abbotshall in 1851 with a son David, aged 19.
At the end of 1864, Arthur left for Bell’s Pottery to become a traveller with that company. David Lockhart continued to run the business on his own until his sons were of an age to join the firm.
In 1898, the sons Joseph R. Lockhart and David H. Lockhart became partners. David Lockhart Snr died in 1912 aged 80.
In the 1911 census , he was described as an Earthenware Manufacturer living at 37 Albert Drive, Glasgow aged 79 years, with his wife Rachel aged 68 and a daughter Elizabeth aged 35, plus two servants.
Joseph R. Lockhart was 53 in 1911, also described as an earthenware manufacturer, living in the parish of Titwood. His wife Jessie was 48 and their two sons David was 21 and Joseph aged 17 lived there also.
Both the sons are described as mercantile clerks.
His brother David H. Lockhart had died in 1906. Joseph himself died suddenly of a heart attack at home in 1919 aged 61, his sons carried on the business.
Little is yet known of the changes of ownership during the ensuing years but the pottery carried on until 1953.
The types of ware also changed around the time of the death of David Lockhart Snr, as marked pieces post 1911 have yet to be found with any certainty. It is thought perhaps that the pottery produced only white ware for Government contracts during this period, but this has yet to be researched.
Main Products
Earthenware decorated dinner wares, wall plaques, punch bowls, pitchers and jugs, mostly transfer-printed in vivid colours. Mugs made in vast quantities.
Cream jugs and porringer sets from around 1876.
The two Lockhart sons are credited with introducing patriotic patterns, like “Scotland Forever” and “Britannia Rules the Waves” and commemorative pitchers such as “The Alliance” jug and “Sebastopol”, made during the Crimean war against Russia.
It is not thought that many wares were made for export, given the difficulty of transporting the wares from the pottery’s location for transport by ship, however some wares are known to have been made for the South East Asian export market.
It is possible, but not known for certain, that only utilitarian white wares for government contracts were produced after David Lockhart Snr’s death in 1911.
Articles in SPHR
- 3 - References
- 5 - References
- 7 - References
- 8 - Patterns
- 10 - References
- 11 - The Victoria Pottery - Henry E Kelly
- 12 - Patterns
- 14 The Wares of the Victoria Pottery, Pollockshaws by Henry E Kelly
- 14 Pollokshaws Pottery Photographs by Elspeth King
- 15 - Further Victoria Pottery Jugs - June Clelland
- 20 - A Note on Export Wares from The Victoria Pottery, Pollokshaws, Glasgow - Henry E Kelly
- 24 - References
Articles in Bulletin (Members only)
- 2 - References
- 11 - Reference
- 18 - Known Patterns of the Victoria Pottery
- 19 - A Pottery Painter
- 23 - Reference
- 27 - Pattern
- 38 - Patterns
- 39 - Patterns
- 72 - Patterns
Typical Backstamps & Marks
Lockhart & Arthur, L&A (1855-1864)
Lockhart & Co, L&Co. (1865-c1876)
DL&Co (1876-1898)
DL & S (1898 onwards)
Pattern Names
- Abbotsford
- Aberfeldy
- Aberfoyle
- Abygsinia
- Alliance
- Alva
- Anemone
- Antelopes
- Arab
- Athens
- Atlantic
- Auld Lang Syne
- Autumn
- Avon
- Ballater
- Balmoral
- Batavia
- Bird’s Nest
- Blair Athole
- Bluebell
- Bothnia
- Braemar
- Britania
- Britannia
- Brussels
- Burns
- Bute
- Caledonia
- Canada
- Cattle
- Ceylon
- Charlie
- Chinese
- Christmas Bells
- Clan Mackenzie
- Clyde
- Country Scenery
- Cuba
- Daliah
- Dalmeny
- Derwent
- Elephant
- Eton College
- Etruscan
- Exhibition
- Feeding Poultry
- Felicity
- Fibre
- Fidelty
- Fleetwood
- Fountain
- Glasgow Exhibition 1888
- Glencoe
- Gleniffer
- Glenesk
- Glenrosa
- Glenshee
- Golden Eagle
- Good Luck
- Grange
- Grecian
- Greek Key
- Greyhound
- Harp
- Hawthorn
- Herbert
- Holly
- Huntly
- Inchrye
- Innocence
- Iona
- Italian Fruit
- Java
- Jubilee
- Kensington
- Kilsyth
- King and Queen
- King William
- Kinross
- Lang Syne
- Life-Buoy
- Lily and Rose
- Lily of the Valley
- Lochee
- Loch Fyne
- Malta
- Melrose
- Millport
- Moffat
- Moss Rose
- Oban
- Orient
- Oriental
- Our Heroes
- Outram
- Oxford
- Pacific
- Pagoda
- Pagado
- Palermo
- Parrot
- Pastoral
- Peace
- Persia
- Peru
- Peruvian
- Pheasant
- Prince
- Prince Charlie
- Purity
- Queen
- The Return from the Vinyard
- Returning From Market
- Rhine
- Richmond
- Rose
- Roseneath
- Rothsay
- Rural
- Scotia
- Scotland Forever
- Seasons
- Sebastopol
- Servia
- Sevres
- Shamrock
- Sheep Shearing
- Sicily
- Singapore
- The Sisters
- Smyrna
- Spring
- Strathblane
- Sultana
- Summer
- Swan
- Sweet Home
- Tartan
- Thistle
- Thrift
- Venice
- Verona
- Victory
- Vienna
- Virginia
- The Water Carrier
- Waverley
- Willow
- Winter
- Yarmouth
- Youth
Other Publications & Links
Public Collections
Other
The pottery’s history between 1911 until the 1950s is puzzling, since it is known that the pottery continued to be in production during this time, but no marked wares are found for this period. The solution, proposed in “Scottish Ceramics” by Henry E. Kelly is that, in this period, unmarked plain white ware was produced, which declined to just white chamber pots
“A sad end to the life of an enterprising pottery which had produced wares of great charm” Henry E. Kelly, Scottish Ceramics
I have two soup bowls with a lady carrying firewood with a child. The back is stamped Normandy. I would like to send a pic of front and back to possibly get any information on them. Thank you for your time.
We have the same pattern in brown on a plate (in the archive area). If you have read the page above and followed the links including the gallery, you will have seen most of what we have. Members have access to our digitised publications and research and there may be more in there.
Basically, these wares were in daily service with the citizens of Glasgow and surrounds.
Hello
We have a bowl which is stamped Kilsyth at the bottom and we are trying to understand the story behind the image . It’s a well to do horseman being thrown by his horse over a dyke , watched by two small children on a fence . We’re thinking it may have been in reference to access laws or similar at the time ? Any information would be greatly an appreciated.
Thank you
Greetings, I would like to check if this ‘Punchbowl’ exported to Singapore? I saw there’s a pattern design for ‘Singapore’. Thanks.