Sampson hancock biography

Sampson Hancock (1817-1898) .
In 1891 he established the.
Sampson Hancock (& Sons).

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Here is a splendid basket made at the King Street factory in Derby and painted and signed by the artist, Harry Sampson Hancock. It presents a view of the Derwent River with the skyline of the city of Derby in the background. In fact, the same view is (mostly) available today, if you’re looking from Holmes Bridge in Derby. This view, named “Long Bridge, 1750,” was originally produced on porcelain at the first (18th-century) Derby porcelain factory on Nottingham Road, and was later also produced at the King Street factory. "The Long Bridge 1750" is the title of an engraving, an example of which is held by the Derby Local Studies Library, and the title is assumed to refer to the date when the engraving was made. The view is sometimes also known as "Derby from The Meadows." This basket is eleven and three-quarters inches long, seven inches across and four and a quarter inches tall. It is in pristine condition, with no damage and no wear, and presents some intriguing puzzles, all tied to the artist and to the factory in which it was painted.

The King

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DERBY - PEOPLE

William Duesbury (1725 - 1786)

Little is known of William Duesbury except that he worked as a china painter in London in the early 1750s, and that at the time of the partnership with John Heath and Andrew Planche, he was described as ‘of Longton … an Enamellor’.

He was clearly the driving force behind the initial success of the Nottingham Road factory, consolidating there the resources of the Chelsea and Bow factories which he purchased in 1770 and 1776. When he died in October 1786, the Derby factory was one of the largest porcelain factories in Europe and producing ware of the highest quality. As Duesbury himself is reputed to have remarked ‘a second Dresden’ in the city of Derby.

Duesbury was succeeded by his son William Duesbury (II), under whom the factory’s reputation grew even further.

Robert Bloor ( - 1846)

Robert Bloor had been a clerk at Nottingham Road under William Duesbury and in 1811 he purchased the business, including the premises, stock and intellectual property. Bloor apparently could not meet the full purchase price and so entered into a agr

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Sampson Hancock (& Sons)

Manufacturer of earthenware at Stoke 1870-1937 (formerly Tunstall c.1858 to1870 )

New title "S Hancock & Sons (Potters) Ltd." from 1935 to 1937.

[NOTE: Marks with S.H. & Co. are not the Sampson Hancock company but are those of a different company... Stevenson & Hancock]

MarkDescription & date

S. H.

Initials found on printed marks; the name of pattern is often included.

1858-91

S. HANCOCKPrinted mark with the name in full 1858 onwardsS. H. & S.

S. H. & SONS

Initials found on printed marks; the name of pattern is often included.

1906-12

"OPAQUE CHINA" was a trade name

Printed marks, 1900-6

"MAGNET" and the castle logo were trade names/marks

variations in the use of the name occured:

S H & Sons
S Hancock & Sons
Hancock & Sons

Printed marks, 1906-12THE "DUCHESS"
CHINAGodden's book 'Encyclopaedia of British Pottery & Porcelain Marks' says