Pottery occupations

[peterpiper]

could anybody tell me what the following occupations are
mould runner, (not road runner), and biscuit plater-potter?
Lpouger (think this should be sponger).
thanks a lot
peter

[RJ_Paton]

Mould runner  .....
 The boys were often employed as 'mould runners' which consisted of running in all weathers from one building to another and placing the newly made ware in rows near a stove for hardening, and returning with an empty mould.

other pottery occu[ations are listed at http://www.rootsweb.com/~engsts/potters1.html but nothing for biscuit plater potter

[peterpiper]

that was quick! thanks a lot , I'm learning, but slowly.
peter

[RJ_Paton]

Its possible that a "Biscuit plate potter" was one of two jobs

1. ..... he made biscuit plates ..... not as daft as it sounds (I hope  )
2. he was a potter in the early stages of the wares life and made the unglazed pottery which was known as "biscuit plate"

[peterpiper]

thanks guys, just discovered that another rellie was a "potters Placer" I know that this is the job of placing stuff in the kilns, evidently a fairly important job, as different parts of the kilns were hotter than others, so if the placer didn't know his kiln, he could ruin the work. so I'm putting this bloke down as a buiscuit placer, 'till I can get down to the potteries museums next year.
ta again
peter

[cicely]

Hi Peter,
Have you been to Gladstone Pottery Museum in Longton? You'll probably find most of your answers there (and see a partly "placed" bottle kiln in real life). There's also lots of info on the health risks that were associated with working in potbanks (dust, poisoning, heat etc). It'll really give you the flavour of what your relatives went through.
cicely

[peterpiper]

thanks Cicely
no, i haven't been there yet but hoping to get there next year, it'll give my wife an excuse to spend some money.
thanks,
peter

[Catswhiskers]

I'm waiting for someone to come up with sagger-makers bottom knocker, a classic on the old T show 'What's my Line' with Eamon Andrews back in the 50. Classic Television

[Queensware]

A good source for pottery occupations is the great site http://potbankdictionary.blogspot.co.uk/ Terry & Pam Woolliscroft have a vast deal of knowledge and enthusiasm for the subject of pottery