Around Edinburgh - Portobello Potteries

Waverley Pottery

and

Thistle Pottery

1770

Waverly pottery, Pipe Street, Portobello, was built for W & C Smith.

W & C Smith produced bone china. (See also UPDATE 1 below.)

1786	Westbank works were enlarged, but later disposed of to a soap works. (See also UPDATE 2 below.)
1830	The works were re-sold as a pottery to Hugh & Arthur Cornwall.

Hugh and Arthur Cornwall produced decorated stoneware jars.

1840	John Tough bought the works.
1867	A W Buchan bought the business.
1877	Murray & Buchan was established by AW Buchan and J F Murray.
1879	Murray & Buchan's works were extended.

Murray & Buchan won two Gold Medals at the Edinburgh International Exhibition of Industry Science & Art in 1890 - for plain and fancy stoneware.

The company later traded under the name Thistle Pottery. At one time the pottery employed more than 120 people.

Photos of Waverley Pottery

1972

The pottery at Portobello closed. The company moved to Crieff.

Three bottle kilns were built at the Pipe Street pottery - in 1903, 1906 and 1909. The two most recent have survived and stand beside the road on the south side of Portobello Funfair.

Acknowledgements

Much of the Thistle Pottery detail above, up to 1877, and the Midlothian Pottery details are taken from East of Scotland Potteries by G D Young, Occasional Publication No 8 in a series by Edinburgh Corporation Libraries & Museums Committee. This booklet was produced to introduce a collection of pottery on display in Huntly House Museum, 1969.

W & C Smith

and

Westbank Works

Thank you to George Haggarty, Research Associate, National Museums, Scotland, for sending the following comments.

George wrote:

UPDATE 1

"There is no evidence for an 18th century pottery in Portobello called W & C Smith, and there is no evidence that bone china was produced at Portobello in the 18th century."

UPDATE 2

"As it suggests the Westbank works was on the other side of the burn and it only made bricks and had no connection with either the Waverly or Thistle potteries."

George Haggarty: January 27, 2007

Portobello

Midlothian Pottery

Midlothian Pottery built by William Jamieson

The Waverley Pottery above was built in Portobello in 1770 by William Jamieson.

In 1786 Jamieson built another pottery in Portobello. It had many owners, including James & Andrew Scott from 1786, Thomas Rathbone from 1810 and William Affleck Gray from 1856 and his sons from 1896 then William Richardson from 1921.

Thomas Gray traded under the name Midlothian Pottery. The business finally closed in 1926.

Portobello

Westbank Pottery

1770	Westbank pottery was erected for Anthony Hillcoat.
1803	Hillcoat died. The business was taken over by son and son-in-law.

Initially it produced roof and drain tiles, later it produced brown ware and Prussian Blue ware.

1890	Peter Mitchell took over the firm.
1936	The clay pit was exhausted. The pottery closed.

Under Peter Mitchell's management, the firm manufactured bricks, tiles, drain pipes and terra cotta.

Acknowledgement: The details above are taken from East of Scotland Potteries by G D Young, Occasional Publication No 8 in a series by Edinburgh Corporation Libraries & Museums Committee. This booklet was produced to introduce a collection of pottery on display in Huntly House Museum, 1969.