The Crown Pottery

Trade directories show Arthur Ellis operating a pottery, in St Georges, between 1885 and 1887.  After which it is listed as the Crown Pottery.  Alfred Hiley appears to have been involved between 1888-90, and is listed as being resident at the pottery.  This would suggest financial problems, since Hiley was an administrator at Pountney's between 1884-6.  In December 1890 it was bought by Pountney's (probably by the directors, but run as a separate business) and there is some mention of it in their accounts up to 31st March 1894.  It continued to be listed in directories until 1904 (see the 1902 OS map).  The map shows the building as a soap works.  The 1883 OS map does, however, show the building as the Crown Pottery (it therefore must have been called this before 1885) and the site is somewhat different.  This does suggest that the directories are wrong, and that by 1902 the site had become a soap works.  Possibly it ceased to be a pottery after ownership by Pountneys in 1891-4 (by the end of 1894 the Pountney's directors purchased the Bovey Tracy pottery). There is a 'Willow Pattern' dish (c1880) in the Bristol Museum , which is marked CROWN POTTERY / ST.GEORGE'S BRISTOL / I.E.  There is also a jug, which may have been made at the pottery.  It is marked with 5 and 4/87, the latter may be a date code for April 1887.  Pountney's also made the 'Willow Pattern' at this time. John Ellis is also listed at the pottery in 1872 and 1880.  Alfred Hiley is shown as the accountant, with a residence at the pottery, in 1888-90.  Arthur Ellis may have had a china and glass warehouse in Batch betweeen 1881 and 1885.  There may be link between the Crown Pottery and the Crown Clay Company , as John Ellis lived at Conham Hall quite close to the latter site. In 1879 there was also the Crown Brick Works and in 1885 a Bristol Crown Bottle Works (glass bottles) at West Town (near Avonmouth). The building was originally a workhouse, being built in 1801 (Bristol Evening Post 22nd October 2004), and was probably the St George's workhouse advertised to be let or sold in 1847 (Felix Farley).  The site today (2002) is a small industrial estate, however two of the buildings clearly date from the time of the pottery.  Note the arches in front of the building on the left.  At the time of the pottery, the building on the right had three kilns in front of it.