Fact File

The Coalport China Works houses the National Collections of Caughley and Coalport China.

John Rose

John Rose was probably born in the 1760's. He was the son of a Scottish farmer who had come to Shropshire c1770 and took Swynney Farm near Brosley. He began his career with Thomas Turner's Caughley China Works but, at some point, had an argument with Turner and left to start his own business* He went into partnership with a Mr Blakeway with whom he took over an existing pottery in Jackfield. Shortly afterwards the works were moved to Coalport where they set up an existing, but abandoned, pottery. They were so successful that, eventually, they were able to buy Thomas Turner's company then called the Salopian China Warehouse. Rose built up a fine staff of workers from among local people many of whom lived south of the river and used the Severn ferry to cross twice a day. On October 23rd 1799 disaster struck when the ferryboat capsized and twenty-eight people drowned including some of Rose's finest artists. He was much lauded for his kindness to the survivors and families of the deceased.

In 1820 he was awarded the gold Isis medal of the Society of Arts for 'discovering the cheapest, safest, most durable and most easily fusible composition fit for the purposes of glazing earthenware without any preparation of lead, arsenic or other pernicious ingredients, and superior to any hitherto in use'.

Despite a reputation for 'paternal interest' in his workers Rose's employees called a strike in November 1833 largely because of his refusal to accept their right to a Trade Union. He carried on the work with a skeleton staff while the strike continued and came to be seen by his neighbours as a defender of the status quo.

In 1834 they subscribed to present him with a massive silver goblet inscribed on one side with the legend:

• 'Tribute of Respect

• To his

• Public and Private Character

• And to the

• Uncompromising Firmness

• With which

• He has recently Resisted the

• Demands of an Illegal

• Conspiracy'

John Rose died in 1841 and was buried at Barrow (between Broseley and Much Wenlock) near the grave of Thomas Turner. He had expanded Coalport to a size Turner could never have dreamed of although the foundation of that prosperity was Turner's Willow Pattern and the old blue China of Caughley.

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* There is some doubt about the date of his birth and the date on which he founded his own business. He is said by John Randall to have been born in 1772 but several contemporary accounts describe him leaving the Caughley works to set up his own business in 1780 - which would make him something of a child prodigy!

Reproduced by kind permission of Shelagh Lewis MLH Project Manager