China manufacturer in Scotland circa 1800

[kirstyc]

Hi
I'm looking into the father of an ancestor. According to her death certificate in 1859, my ancestor's father was James Anderson, china manufacturer. She was in her 70s at this point so I assume her father was long dead and would have been active around the turn of the 19th C.

Anyone know where china was manufactured in Scotland in around 1800? I didn't know there was any china produced there, to be honest!

I think she was born in Haddington in the 1780s. This could be wrong, if so it's still likely to be the lowlands region. Her son was born in Alloa, Clacks, and lived in Edinburgh and Fife.

thanks in advance!

Kirsty

[trish1120]

What was your ancestors name? Finding a Bapt may be the key to this

EG; we can rule out James/Isabel Anderson who were having children in Haddington in the right time frame. He was a Blacksmith.

Trish

[shanghaipanda]

I did find mention of a James Anderson here:
https://www.scottishbrickhistory.co.uk/scottish-pottery-and-porcelain-works-circa-1978/

ALLOA.

Alloa Pottery. These works were established in 1790 by Mr.
James Anderson, and were afterwards carried on by Mr. William
Gardner; in 1855 they passed by purchase into the hands of the
present proprietors, Messrs. W. & J. Bailey. At first the works,
under Mr. Anderson, produced common brownware pans and crocks,
and by Mr. Gardner the addition was made of Rockingham ware
tea-pots.

[kirstyc]

She was called Catherine Anderson. Died aged 76 in 1859, so I make that born in 1783.
The mother's name is listed as unknown on her dc.

The only likely one I've found so far is:
ANDERSON CATHARINE  - JAMES ANDERSON/ANN PHILIP FR2769  F 01/07/1783 in St Cuthbert's, Edinburgh.

She married a John Cochrane, army officer (but no trace of him either) and they had one son, James Cochrane, born Alloa in 1805. That's all I know for sure. It's likely they lived in Edinburgh though.

[kirstyc]

I did find mention of a James Anderson here:
https://www.scottishbrickhistory.co.uk/scottish-pottery-and-porcelain-works-circa-1978/

ALLOA.

Alloa Pottery. These works were established in 1790 by Mr.
James Anderson, and were afterwards carried on by Mr. William
Gardner; in 1855 they passed by purchase into the hands of the
present proprietors, Messrs. W. & J. Bailey. At first the works,
under Mr. Anderson, produced common brownware pans and crocks,
and by Mr. Gardner the addition was made of Rockingham ware
tea-pots.

Ooh - this is promising, since Catherine's son was born in Alloa in 1805.

[IMBER]

Extract from Scottish Pottery (Fleming, 1923):

"There was erected in the town of Alloa about 1790 a small pottery for the making of coarse ware from local clay. It was situated beside Me Johnson's wine cellars, and originally believed to have belonged to a man Shaw. better known as 'Sleepy Shaw'. It is questionable whether he himself built the works or a James Anderson, but we do know that Shaw was a master potter, and occupied the works, which were well known locally as The Pottery"

Pottery was a major industry in Scotland at one time. Plenty of information here:

http://www.scottishpotterysociety.co.uk/

Imber

Imber

[kirstyc]

Brilliant - thank you!
Kirsty

[Lodger]

"China" and pottery of all descriptions was a huge industry in Lowland Scotland. In the 19th century it was the second largest industry in Glasgow after shipbuilding. Hard to believe but there were huge potteries in the city and some of them produced the most exquisite porcelain too, the Verreville Pottery at the Broomilaw/James Watt St was in existence in the late 1700's. J & M.P.Bell was probably the largest pottery in the city. Other potteries in Scotland were at Alloa, Bo'ness, Greenock, Cumnock, Kirkcaldy, Portobello, Musselburgh, Prestonpans and the only one of any size north of Perth, Seaton Pottery in Aberdeen.
It isn't a coincidence that almost all of them were situated at or close to, a sea port. Millions of pieces of Scottish pottery were shipped in the 19th century to the "colonies" of Canada, Australia, India and other places all over the world. 

[kirstyc]

Thanks Lodger - I had no idea the china business was so big there!

If you can think of any other sources of information on the background of Mr James Anderson and the Alloa pottery, that would be much appreciated. Most of the info I've found is about the pottery later on in the mid 1850s, and the pottery itself. There's a book, but I can't source a copy right now. Can't find much in the way of Alloa records, or a trace of Mr Anderson himself.

Kirsty