Vintage (1960s) Original English Wade Ceramics Collectible “John Player Special” 6”/15 Whiskey Jug In Perfect Condition.
Please browse all 12 photos for size, weight & condition. Lovely heavy Jug. Superb quality, weight and feel. Weighs over 600g!
Please note, this is the original "Wade Pottery" Stoke On Trent English jug and not the other imitations or lookalikes. A very sought after collectible item.
Wade Pottery was originally founded in 1810, today Wade Pottery produces branded decanters for Scots Whisky makers including Bells, Chivas Regal’s Royal Salute, Grouse, Glenfiddich and Glenlivet.
George WADE (1864-1938), was born in Tunstall, Stoke-on-Trent. His father was a potters thrower and later became a manager. George himself was educated at Nottingham University and eventually became Chairman of George Wade & Son Ltd.
The original Wade company manufactured ceramic products for the cotton industry as well as porcelain figures and groups. In 1905 George Wade purchased the ceramics business of Henry Hallen of Wellington Street, Burslem and combined both businesses to form a new ceramics manufactory he called the Manchester Pottery.
George Albert Wade was born on July 19th 1891 to George Snr and his wife Marie Hart Wade. Young George was only 2 years old when his older sister Daisy, died in 1893 leaving George an only child. The Wade family eventually moved to Watlands Hall in Porthill, Burslem and George attended Wolstanton Board School and later the Newcastle-under-Lyme High School.
In 1905, George Albert Wade left school and joined the Wade family business just as his father acquired the Hallen business and the Manchester Pottery began operations.
George Wade & Son Ltd was based in the Manchester Pottery, manufacturing gas and electrical components and other industrial ceramics.
Wade Ceramics was established in 1867. It was originally made up of a number of different companies founded by various members of the Wade family, and was only finally united as Wade Potteries Limited in 1958. The original companies were Wade & Myatt (later became George Wade & Son, who made industrial ceramics and Wade Whimsies). Established 1867.
John Wade & Co (later Wade Heath & Co, who made decorative ware, particularly art deco vases in the 1930s). Established 1867.
J & W Wade (later AJ Wade Ltd, who made tiles, notably the original tiles for the London Underground). Established 1891.
In 1905, George Wade & Son took over rival company Henry Hallen. As the Hallen firm was owned by a distant relation and was founded in 1810, Wade Ceramics (through this) claim to have been established in 1810. In the 1930s, Colonel Sir George Wade gained control of the Wade companies that had previously been run by his father and uncles. He also started further Wade factories, including Wade (Ulster) Ltd in Portadown.
Following the death of Sir George Wade in 1986 at the age of 94 years and the death of his innovative son George Anthony (Tony) Wade of Leukaemia in 1987, the Wade potteries were taken over by Beauford Plc in 1998 and were renamed Wade Ceramics Ltd. In early 1990s the Irish pottery factory was renamed Seagoe Ceramics and was closed down.
Beauford plc's pottery factories were taken over by a management buyout in 1999 becoming a wholly owned subsidiary of Wade Allied Holdings Ltd. Edward Duke former CEO of Beauford became the major shareholder of Wade Allied Holdings and Chairman of Wade Ceramics. His partner, Paul Farmer became Managing Director of Wade. In 2009, Wade Allied Holdings invested £7.9m in a new factory with the latest robotic manufacturing equipment to make ceramic flagons for the whisky industry. The last Wade factory in Burslem was closed in 2010 and sold for housing development.