Palissy

Palissy is the brand name under which the English firm of A.E. Jones and Sons, of Stoke-on-Trent, marketed their china and pottery. The name was chosen as a tribute to Bernard Palissy, the famous French potter of the 16th century, creator of Palissy ware. As mentioned below, the company origins may date back to the 1850s, and be a split from the Jones family, such as George Jones, who produced quite upmarket items through the 1900s.

Pottery

Published details have always been sketchy, except for references in the trade magazines, so this ongoing attempt to provide a brief history, and story of their production, comes about. Earlier marks were the word Palissy within a sort of shield or tureen shaped outline, which the few published sources seem to think stopped before 1940, but was clearly used as late as 1950, then about 1935 to 1939 some items have a palette outline shape with Palissy Handpainted. Plus some use of the two words Palissy Ware, sometimes in an art-deco squared format. Postwar usage was also the two words Palissy England, with England written along the horizontal tail of the letter y and pottery with the word Palissy impressed. Plus, perhaps to dupe postwar American export customers, a mark of Palissy Established 1853, around the design of a whiskered head and shoulders presumably trying to allude to Bernard Palissy. Many of the same pattern transfers were used, but Palissy ware is somewhat cream and quite distinctive against the whiter body of Hammersley, in the same physical shapes.

Firm

They were bought out in 1958, by the Royal Worcester group, and in turn the Carborundum company, already owning Spode china, took over Hammersley china in 1972, and then Royal Worcester in 1974. Later pieces are marked Royal Worcester Group, then Royal Worcester Spode Group, despite production undoubtedly still in Longton. From 1982 Palissy and Hammersley production was merged, until final demise in 1988.