Hammersley & Co. bone china thimble
Name/Title
Hammersley & Co. bone china thimbleEntry/Object ID
2021.1.197Description
Bone china floral and garlanded thimble in pink, red, gold, white, and green. Part of the Franklin Mint "Thimbles of the World’s Greatest Porcelain Houses" series. Retailer description: "The name of the Hammersley company, crafters of this colorfully flowered and garlanded thimble, has been widely known in the English porcelain industry for almost two centuries. It first appeared, however, under somewhat of a cloud when, in 1697, Cornelius Hammersley was one of a group of potters who were accused of infringing on a patent for the manufacture of salt-glazed stoneware. Whether or not this was a setback to the family business is not known, but the Hammersleys appeared again in an 1802 directory of manufacturers which listed the Billings and Hammersley pottery in Hanley and the John Hammersley factory in Shelton. The precise date when the present firm was established is uncertain, but in the 1860s Titus Hammersley was a partner in the two companies which occupied the current factory site at Stoke-on-Trent. After visiting the United States for health reasons in 1872, he returned to England and established the present Hammersley & Company in 1873 or 1874. During this mid-Victorian period the demand for bone china tableware grew rapidly. This was due in large part to stable economic conditions as well as to increase in the consumption of tea which caused a demand for more teaware. That very English institution, afternoon tea, required both elegance and delicacy in its china, and Hammersley built his reputation on meeting these needs. Tastes may have changed, but the Hammersley bone china of today would certainly meet Titus Hammersley’s high standards."Collection
Marianne Kerr Thimble CollectionCategory
Tools