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Llanelli Pottery

Important dates in the life of the Pottery

The town pottery, known as the South Wales Pottery, was established by William Chambers (junior) with an estimated investment of £10,000. He was said to be a pillar of local Society, a Magistrate, a founder of the Llanelly Reform Society, the first Chairman of the Llanelly Board of Health and he took a close personal interest in building his Pottery which began in 1839. He also had his own coat of arms.

William Chambers had persuaded William Bryant, an Agent for the Glamorgan Pottery in Swansea, to work as a Manager in his new Pottery. Bryant had previously been a potter for 26 years, and had no difficulty in securing large markets for William Chamber’s new venture.

1840 William Bryant left Swansea at the end of June 1840 and brought some of the Glamorgan Pottery workers with him to Llanelli. Many of these potters had originally lived in the Midlands area around Stoke on Trent and had come to work in the Swansea Potteries. The Swansea potters worked alongside local employees and lived in houses specially built for them in Pottery Row (now Pottery Street), and Pottery Place. Some of their descendants still live in the town [2002].

Records show that in 1840, when the population of the town was under 10,000, the port operated a thriving import and export business, with coal exports amounting to 115,712 tons and 1,592 ships were loaded at the port.

The Pottery was built during the start of a period of great expansion for the town, when the Copperworks at Penrhos was thriving at Seaside, Siloah Chapel was founded, Capel Newydd and Adulam were rebuilt and a large coal mine was in operation at the Bres. However, a year after the Pottery was established, the Bres Colliery had closed and the town’s many tinplate works were yet to be built.

Stepney Street, and Vaughan Street were open spaces with the main streets of the town, being Market Street, Park Street, Water Street, Thomas Street, Oxen Street, Wind Street, Church Street and Hall Street [see Street names]

The largest residence was Llanelly House, home of the Chambers family.

At its busiest the Pottery employed up to 150 people and exported its products all over the world, mainly from Llanelli Docks to Liverpool Docks and then abroad.

Foreign destinations included Egypt, Sudan, India, Africa and South America.

1844 Pigot’s Trade Directory: Earthenware Manufactory: South Wales Pottery, Llanelly, William Chambers Junior, Proprietor

1852 From the period when the South Wales Railway opened in Swansea until the Railway reached Llanelli in 1852, crates of pottery were also sent the 12 miles by road to Swansea, for onward shipment by rail.

1855 William Chambers (senior) died in 1855.

After 1855 when the Pottery was operated by Coombs and Holland, new foreign export markets, which accounted for half the export production, were found in Brazil, Chile, the East Indies and Mediterranean countries.

1857 John Cowell Stepney regained the family estates. William Chambers (junior) left Llanelli after being proprietor of the Pottery for 15 years. However he still retained a leasehold interest in the business.

1858-1877 The partnership of Coombs and Holland was short lived because they ran into financial difficulties forcing them to surrender the lease to William Chambers in 1858. A new agreement was soon reached between Chambers and William Holland and the latter carried on the business alone until 1868 when he entered into partnership with David Guest until 1875. Again financial difficulties forced the pottery to cease trading until 1877, when the Pottery was rescued by David Guest and his cousin Richard Dewsberry.

1906 By 1906 the two partners had died and David Guest’s son Richard then became sole proprietor.

1908 Sometime after 1908 Samuel Shufflebotham arrived in Llanelli, having learned his skill of painting flowers on pottery in Bristol. During his short stay he painted a wide variety of subjects but mainly flowers and fruits.

1912 In 1912 the Pottery became a company with the shares being held by the Guest family.

1915 Samuel Shufflebotham left Llanelli and the Pottery went into decline.

1923 The pottery finally closed in 1923 – this time permanently.

Over the years the Pottery manufactured all types of pottery including sturdy domestic earthenware and delicate seamed and moss designs. Supplies of china stone and clay were imported from Cornwall, Devon and Dorset. Flint was obtained from Northern France.

The Stepney family were said to have taken a special interest in the town’s Pottery, and Lady Catharine Meriel Howard Stepney, donated some pieces that came into her possession, to the Museum at Parc Howard.

Important dates in the life of the Pottery

1839-1855 William Chambers Junior;

1855-1858 Coombes & Holland;

1858-1868 William T Holland;

1868-1875 William T Holland & David Guest;

1877-1906 David Guest & Richard Dewsberry;

1906-1912 Richard Guest Sole Proprietor;

1912-1922 Guest family were shareholders;

1915 Samuel Shufflebotham left Llanelli;

1923 The pottery finally closed.