Herculaneum Pottery
Corporate brand
UnclaimedA historic Liverpool pottery manufacturer that produced transfer-printed earthenware, creamware, pearlware, and bone china from the 1790s until 1841.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
Herculaneum Pottery was a historic ceramics manufacturer based at Toxteth, Liverpool, on the north side of the River Mersey. The works operated from approximately 1793 or 1794 until 1841 and became one of the important pottery establishments associated with Liverpool’s industrial expansion and maritime trade. Its products included creamware and pearlware earthenware, transfer-printed wares, terracotta, black basaltes, relief-decorated jugs, vases, statuettes, and, later, bone china porcelain. The enterprise began when Richard Abbey, who had trained under the Liverpool engraver John Sadler, established a pottery at Toxteth Park with John Graham, a Scottish partner. In 1796 the original business was sold to Worthington, Humble & Holland. The new owners appointed Ralph Mansfield, a Staffordshire-trained manager, and recruited approximately forty workers from the Staffordshire pottery districts. The buildings inherited from Abbey were enlarged and improved. In a deliberate comparison with Josiah Wedgwood’s Etruria works, the Liverpool manufactory was given the name Herculaneum, invoking the ancient Roman town preserved by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius. The factory initially concentrated on carefully made transfer-printed earthenware. Its wares were described as having a relatively deep colour compared with contemporary Wedgwood products. Liverpool’s port connections helped the company serve export customers, particularly in North America. Surviving pieces include American views, motifs, designs, and emblems, indicating that the works made products suited to overseas markets as well as domestic buyers. The range also included services with embossed basket rims and scenic decoration, as well as ornamental and sculptural wares. The premises were expanded substantially in 1800 and again in 1806. Porcelain production was introduced in the early nineteenth century, and bone china manufacture continued until the works closed. This combination of earthenware and porcelain allowed Herculaneum to participate in several segments of the British ceramics market, from practical tableware to decorative objects. The company’s ownership and management changed during its final decade. In 1833 the partnership was dissolved and the works were sold to Ambrose Lace for £25,000. Lace leased the premises to Thomas Case and James Mort. Under this management the pottery adopted a trademark depicting the Liver, the heraldic emblem associated with Liverpool. In 1836 Case and Mort were succeeded by Mort & Simpson, who operated the factory until its closure in 1841. Early products were marked with the name “HERCULANEUM,” making the pottery identifiable to collectors and museums today. Although the factory itself is defunct, its surviving wares remain of interest for their decoration, technological development, Liverpool associations, and evidence of transatlantic commerce. The works also gave its name to Herculaneum Dock, which later occupied the site. Herculaneum Pottery is therefore remembered not as a current consumer brand but as a significant historical manufacturer within Britain’s industrial ceramics tradition.
History
Herculaneum Pottery developed during the late eighteenth-century growth of Liverpool as a manufacturing and trading centre. Around 1793–1794, Richard Abbey and John Graham established a pottery at Toxteth Park. Abbey had been apprenticed to John Sadler, a prominent engraver, giving the enterprise a connection to Liverpool’s established tradition of decorated ceramics and transfer printing. In 1796 the founders sold the business to Worthington, Humble & Holland. The new proprietors appointed Ralph Mansfield, a manager from Burslem, and recruited a substantial group of workers from Staffordshire, then Britain’s leading pottery district. The workforce was transported to Liverpool by boat, illustrating the mobility of specialist industrial labour during the period. The existing buildings were expanded and improved, creating a larger manufactory whose owners named it Herculaneum. The name followed the contemporary practice of associating pottery settlements with classical antiquity, notably Wedgwood’s use of Etruria. Herculaneum’s early output consisted chiefly of transfer-printed earthenware. The pottery was carefully formed and was noted for a deeper shade than comparable Wedgwood wares. Its location beside the Mersey supported access to domestic distribution networks and overseas trade. A considerable number of surviving pieces incorporate American designs, symbols, or views, indicating that the factory produced wares for customers in the United States and other export markets. The range included tableware with embossed basket-style rims, scenic services, jugs decorated with relief figures, terracotta vases, and black basaltes statuettes. The manufactory underwent major enlargement in 1800 and again in 1806. During the early nineteenth century it added china production, later identified with bone china, and continued making porcelain until the works closed. This broadened the business beyond decorated earthenware and placed it within the competitive British market for both everyday table services and higher-value ceramic goods. A major corporate change occurred in 1833, when the existing company was dissolved. The works were sold to Ambrose Lace for £25,000, after which he leased the premises to Thomas Case and James Mort. Case and Mort introduced a trademark based on the Liver, the crest associated with Liverpool. The mark connected the manufacturer directly with its home city and became an important identifier of later wares. In 1836 Mort & Simpson replaced Case and Mort as operators. Mort & Simpson continued the business until 1841, when Herculaneum Pottery closed. The factory’s historical footprint endured through its marked wares and through Herculaneum Dock, which took its name from the pottery and later occupied the site. The surviving ceramics provide evidence of Liverpool’s industrial economy, its links with Staffordshire expertise, the development of transfer printing and bone china, and the city’s commercial relationship with North American markets. Modern interest in Herculaneum Pottery is consequently centred on collecting, museum study, ceramics history, and the interpretation of Liverpool’s manufacturing heritage rather than on an active commercial brand.
- 1841
Works closed
[1]Herculaneum Pottery ceased operation after nearly five decades of production.
- 1836
Mort & Simpson take over operation
[1]Mort & Simpson succeeded Case and Mort and operated the pottery until its closure.
- 1833
Company dissolved and works sold
[1]The company was dissolved, and Ambrose Lace acquired the works before leasing them to Thomas Case and James Mort.
- 1833
Liverpool Liver trademark introduced
[1]Case and Mort introduced a trademark based on the Liver, the heraldic emblem of Liverpool.
- 1806
Further expansion of the works
[1]The buildings were enlarged again, supporting the pottery’s growing range and output.
- 1800
First major enlargement
[1]The manufactory was substantially enlarged as production and commercial activity developed.
- 1800
Porcelain production introduced
[1]China production began in the early nineteenth century and continued through the final years of the factory.
- 1796
Business sold to Worthington, Humble & Holland
[1]The founders sold the pottery to Worthington, Humble & Holland, who appointed Ralph Mansfield as manager and expanded the specialist workforce.
- 1793
Pottery established at Toxteth Park
[1]Richard Abbey and John Graham established the works at Toxteth Park, Liverpool, around 1793–1794.
Products and positioning
A Liverpool industrial pottery positioned across functional and decorative ceramics, with a notable emphasis on transfer-printed tableware, ornamental wares, porcelain, and export production.
Earthenware
Creamware
Creamware formed part of the pottery’s early and continuing earthenware output. This light-coloured ceramic was suitable for table services and decorated domestic wares, including transfer-printed products made for British and overseas customers.
Earthenware
Pearlware
Pearlware was another important earthenware category associated with Herculaneum Pottery. The factory used the material for decorated tableware and other commercially distributed ceramics during the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries.
Decorated tableware
Transfer-printed earthenware
Transfer printing was central to Herculaneum’s identity. The factory produced carefully potted wares decorated with printed scenes and motifs, including English landscapes and designs associated with American customers. Early pieces were marked with the Herculaneum name.
Porcelain · 1800
Bone china porcelain
The pottery added china production in the early nineteenth century. Bone china manufacture continued until the works closed, extending the factory’s product range into a finer and more prestigious class of ceramics.
Decorative ceramics
Terracotta vases
Herculaneum produced terracotta vases as part of its ornamental range. These objects complemented its tableware and demonstrated the factory’s participation in the nineteenth-century market for decorative ceramics.
Decorative ceramics
Black basaltes statuettes
Black basaltes statuettes were among the pottery’s decorative products. Their dark, stone-like appearance placed them within the neoclassical tradition of ornamental wares associated with British ceramic manufacturers of the period.
Brand decisions
1836
Transfer of operation to Mort & SimpsonStrategyBackground
The operating arrangement involving Thomas Case and James Mort ended after three years.
Action taken
Mort & Simpson took over management of the works.
Aftermath
The new operators continued the pottery until its closure in 1841.
1833
Sale to Ambrose Lace and leasing to Case and MortM&ABackground
The existing company was dissolved after decades of operation.
Action taken
Ambrose Lace purchased the works for £25,000 and leased the premises to Thomas Case and James Mort.
Aftermath
The new operators introduced the Liverpool Liver trademark and continued production into the late 1830s.
Purchase price. £25,000 (1833)
1800
Expansion of the manufactoryStrategyBackground
Growing production and demand required additional manufacturing capacity.
Action taken
The works were considerably enlarged, followed by another expansion in 1806.
Aftermath
The larger site supported a wider range of earthenware, decorative products, and later porcelain.
1800
Introduction of china productionProduct launchBackground
The British ceramics market increasingly rewarded manufacturers able to offer finer porcelain alongside earthenware.
Action taken
Herculaneum began producing china in the early nineteenth century and maintained porcelain production until closure.
Aftermath
The product range expanded from transfer-printed earthenware into bone china and other finer ceramic goods.
1796
Sale to Worthington, Humble & HollandM&ABackground
The original partnership founded by Richard Abbey and John Graham transferred ownership of the Liverpool pottery after its first few years of operation.
Action taken
Worthington, Humble & Holland acquired the business, installed Ralph Mansfield as manager, and brought in workers from Staffordshire.
Aftermath
The acquisition was followed by improvements to the buildings and the development of the Herculaneum identity.
Sources2 sources
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