Lowestoft Porcelain

In the 18th Century, the demand for fine pottery was increasing. The Delft factories in the Netherlands had been operating since the 16th Century. Their distinctive Blue and White pottery was one of the most popular of the times.

In 1756, local landowner Hewlin Luson Esq. found clay on his Gunton estate, just north of Lowestoft. After further analysis in London, it was found that the clay was of a very similar consistency to that found in the Delft region of the Netherlands. Luson decided he would try and replicate the produce from his Suffolk home.

The Lowestoft Porcelain Partnership

Hewlin Luson Esq. tried various ways to create pottery with his newly found clay, all of which were unsuccessful. By 1757, a partnership was formed to create a company that could produce successful Lowestoft Porcelain. This partnership did not include Luson.

By 1760, the company had found a suitable formula for it's clay mixture and had started advertising its wares. Evidence has been found of this advertising as far away as Cambridge and London (which in the 18th Century was a very large distance). It is also thought that due to Lowestoft's coastal location, the porcelain could even have been exported back to Holland.

Due to its similarities to the famous Delftware, Lowestoft Porcelain was immediately collectable. The partners in the company appeared to realise that if they made too much each item would lose its value. It is written in the Will of Thomas Walker, a latter partner that the factory "continue for sixteen years from October 1785 and then cease". True to his word, by 1802 the factory was closed. The manufacture of Lowestoft Porcelain was no more.

What did the Lowestoft factory produce?

The factory produced a wide range of porcelain items, although the majority fell into the category of household produce. These included items such as inkwells and handles for cutlery. They also produced more special items, such as birth tablets.

The factory started off by using hand decoration on all its items. By the later 18th Century enamel decoration or transfer printing was creating the distinctive Blue and White and other patterns.

The Southwold Tankard

As we mentioned earlier, the produce of the Lowestoft Porcelain factory included more special items. There are many known about which were gifts to notable members of society One of these very items is inscribed "Willm Mewse, Southwould. 1771" and the new owners of the Lowestoft factory tried to find out more about him.

Mewse was a Revenue collector from the East Coast. He started his working life as a Riding Surveyor based in Cromer. His area ran from Aldeborough to Great Yarmouth, so he would work in Lowestoft from time to time. By 1768 William had moved to Great Yarmouth and 2 years later he moved to a higher position as Collector at Southwold. He was responsible for working with a small team monitoring activity around the East Coast.

They couldn’t find any written explanation as to why Mewse was given the tankard, but it could be something to do with his work in the town.

The Lowestoft Factory Today

The factory is now producing speciality wears again, including birth tablets like the factory in the 18th Century. They still celebrate the factory's history and the famous Blue and White patterns can still be seen in their work today.