See the Potteries List section for the 123 (or 125) Temple Street Pottery, 131 Temple Street Pottery and St Thomas Street Pottery 2.
123 (0r 125 Temple Street Pottery, the St Thomas Street Pottery 2 and the 131 Temple Street Pottery.
| 1845-82 | Joseph Read Price ran the Potteries in partnership with various members of the Price family. |
| From 1845 to 1849 Joseph Read Price was in partnership with his father Charles Price I and his brother Charles Price II, the firm trading as Charles Price & Sons. Charles Price died in 1849. From 1849 to 1863 Joseph Read Price was in partnership with his brother Charles Price II. From 1864 to 1877 Joseph Price was in partnership with Charles Price III, Samuel Newell Price and Alfred Newell Price, the firm trading as Joseph and Charles Price and Brothers. From 1877 to 1822 Joseph Read Price was in partnership with Samuel Newell Price and Alfred Newell Price, the firm trading as Joseph and Charles Price and Brothers. |
Following Joseph Read Price’s death in 1882 the firm was carried on by the brothers Alfred Newell Price and Samuel Newell Price, and their nephew Arthur Newell Price. For details see under Alfred Newell Price.
The 123 (or 125) Temple Street Pottery and the 131 Temple Street Pottery were closed in 1869 and production was concentrated at the St Thomas Street Pottery 2.
Born c1809 in Temple parish, the son of Charles Price I and the brother of Charles Price II (61C, Brunswick Chapel, tombstone).
| 1830 | Stone potter, Thomas Street, St Thomas parish (P). |
| 1832 | Stone potter, Thomas Street, St Thomas parish (P). |
| 1832 | House, St Thomas Street (List of Electors BRO 04736). |
| 1835 | Stone potter, Thomas Street, St Thomas parish (P). |
| 1837 | Thomas Street, St Thomas parish (P). |
| 1841 | 28 Sep. Stoneware manufacturer, Thomas Street, the son of Charles Price, stoneware manufacturer, he married Sophia Hart Arnold, of Cheltenham Road, the daughter of Luke Arnold, stock and share broker (Brunswick Chapel, marriage). |
| 1848 | 24 Nov. In his father’s will he was left joint ownership of the pottery with his brother, Charles Price II (PRO Prob 11/2008). |
| 1851 | Potter employing 36 men, Berkeley Villa, Ashley Hill, St Andrew’s parish (42), living with his wife Sophia (33) and children Sophia (8) and Joseph C. (5) and Dinah Haddon (20), servant, Hannah Morris (74), general servant, and Elizabeth Sartain (42), servant (51C). |
| 1852 | Berkeley Villa, Ashley Hill (MD). |
| 1852 | Alfred Hill (P). |
| 1861 | Stoneware manufacturer, Ashley Hill, St James’s and St Paul’s parish (52), living with his wife Sophia (43), born in St Mary le Port parish, and children Mary Powell (26) house maid and Eliza Bond (20) servant (61C). |
| 1865 | Joseph Read Price, warehouse, Temple Street and warehouse Thomas Street, living at Tyndalls Park, Clifton (WL). |
| 1866 | 23 Nov. ‘Wanted at Price’s Pottery, Thomas Street, an intelligent warehouseman and packer; also a junior assistant who writes well’ (Western Daily Press). |
| 1869 | 17 Apr. ‘To farmers. Wanted 10 to 20 tons of straw for packing. Apply at Price’s Potteries, Thomas Street. No jobbers treated with’ (Western Daily Press). |
| 1870-73 | J. & C. Price & Bros., manufacturers of stoneware, 37, 38, 42 & 43 Thomas Street (WD). |
| 1871 | Stoneware manufacturer employing about 60 men and 40 boys, Inkerman Villa, Tyndall Park, Westbury-on-Trym (62), living with his wife Sophia (53) and Mary Richards (22) general servant, and Hepbrisebah Pullen (20), general servant (71C). |
| 1871 | 29 Apr. ‘For some days past workmen have been engaged in getting out the foundations of a new building to be erected alongside the premises of Messrs Price’s potteries. These foundations are being worked close to the wall flanking the rear of Messrs Price’s buildings. On Sunday morning … a portion of wall gave way, and one of Messrs Price’s employees, who lives on the premises, at once saw that there was a probability of the party wall giving way. He immediately called in the assistance of a number of the workmen, and a large quantity of valuable ware stored near the wall in question was removed. This prompt action was the means of saving a considerable quantity of property for within an hour or so some 30 or 40 feet of the boundary wall, from the basement to the roof – a hight of about 40 feet – gave way … Three or four substantial brick pillars supporting this part of Messrs Price’s premises alone saved the total destruction of the building, and at present the roof, which has fallen several feet, rests upon these pillars’ (Bristol Mercury). |
| 1871 | 26 May. ‘Yesterday afternoon, between two and three o’clock, a notice was received at the various fire engine offices in this city that a fire of a fearful character had just broken out in the extensive stone ware pottery of Messrs Price. The huge black volumes of smoke rolled in clouds high up into the air, whilst the flames from the packing and store rooms in Thomas Street, which were filled with great quantities of straw and packing cases, besides stone jars of every description, were belching forth with the utmost fury … The whole of the workmen in the employ of Messrs Price had gallantly assisted in endeavouring to rescue some of the crates filled with ware … Meanwhile the fire burnt on with great rapidity … and the front roof fell in with a tremendous crash. The loss, which will amount to several hundred pounds, is covered by insurance in the General Fire Office’ (Western Daily Press). |
| 1871 | 12 Aug. ‘Wanted, two or three tons of damaged mats for packing purposes. Apply to Price’s Pottery, Thomas Street’ (Bristol Mercury). |
| 1873 | 4 Oct. Alfred Newell Price assigned to Jacob Dove the building and premises comprised in the lease dated 10 November 1856 (see above). Alfred Newell Price was ‘the owner in fee of the hereditaments situate on the southward part of the building and premises hereby assigned now occupied by Messrs Price as a Pottery or stone ware manufactory …’ and reserved the right ‘to remove and carry away any and every window and stop up any and every window and effectually and substantially build up or stop up any and every window or opening now existing … in any part of the said wall bounding the said building and premises hereby assigned …’ (BRO 604(4). |
| 1873 | 4 Nov. ‘A general summoned meeting of the whole of the operative labourers employed by Messrs Price Brothers, Potteries, Temple Street, took place on Friday evening … to consider the advisability of memorialising their employers for a general advance of wages. A working labourer presided, and opened the meeting by some sensible remarks, in which he stated that the present rate of wages paid by the firm of Messrs Price Brothers was below the wages paid by the Bristol and other potteries in the city. He said that the average wages of a labourer in Messrs Price’s firm was from 13s to 17s for a lone week’s work. He therefore advocated the necessity of a general advance of wages being accorded to them in the face of the exorbitant price of provisions. [The following resolution was carried]: That, as the members of every trade and the operative labourers have received a considerable advance in their wages of late, which is justified through the very high price of every article of subsistence, we give our employers due notice that we shall require an advance of sixpence per day all the year round, to come into force on and after Monday morning November 17, 1873 (Western Daily Press). |
| 1873 | 22 Nov. ‘On Monday last some of the labourers, to the number of about thirty, employed at Messrs Price’s pottery, Thomas Street, came out on strike on a question as to the amount of their wages. It appears that the men, having joined the Labourers’ Union, the firm received a printed notice from the secretary of the Union, intimating that the men had had a meeting and demanded an advance of 3s per week. No notice was taken of this circular, and the firm intimated that they preferred treating with the men themselves, and that they were surprised that no demand was made upon them by the men except through the printed circular of the union. They received, just before the expiration of the notice, a written letter from the men that unless the demand or arbitration were conceded they should strike. On Monday, after an interview had taken place between two of the union committee and the members of the firm, the latter saw the men, and expressed themselves willing to give two-thirds of the demand, namely two shillings advance to such of the men as they were willing to take back from amongst those who had struck. This offer was declined, and the men accordingly remained out on strike. Since then we learn that the firm have taken on some fresh labourers, and have determined to do without the labour of those who have struck. It has been stated that the weekly earnings of the men have been averaged, according to the skill of the workmen, from 15s to 24s, including overtime. In reply to this the secretary of the union has stated that the average earnings per week of 54 hours have been 18s, and that 24s a week means a weekly working of excessive hours of overtime’ (Bristol Mercury). |
| 1873 | 22 Nov. ‘Constant work for steady, industrious and intelligent men. Wages from 18s and upwards, Apply at Messrs Price’s Pottery, Thomas Street. Only those of good character, and who can read and write, need apply’ (Bristol Mercury). |
| 1874-75 | J. & C. Price & Bros., manufacturers of stoneware, 37, 38, 42, 43 & 44 Thomas Street and Victoria Street (WD). |
| 1874 | 11 Apr. ‘Yesterday morning at 7.20, information was conveyed to the police that a fire had broken out at Messrs Price’s Potteries, Thomas Street. It seems likely that the fire originated in the roof of one of the drying kilns, caused no doubt by excessive heat. It was discovered by the men employed there who succeeded in confining it to the roof where it had first broken out. The property is said to be insured in the Sun Imperial Office’ (Western Daily Press). |
| 1874 | 20 Jun. ‘The men employed at Messrs Price’s potteries have been compelled to cease work in consequence of the strike of the colliers stopping their supply of coal. Of course this has produced among the workmen a strong feeling of indignation against the colliers who, they think, are trying to benefit themselves, to the injury of their fellow workers’ (Bristol Mercury). |
| 1875 | 24 Sep. Bristol Sanitary Authority agreed to serve a notice on Price’s Pottery for causing a smoke nuisance from two of the chimneys at their works (Western Daily Press). |
| 1876-80 | Joseph & Charles Price & Bros., manufacturers of stoneware, 39-45 Thomas Street & 69 Victoria Street (WD). |
| 1876 | J. & C. Price & Bros., stoneware potters, 69 Victoria Street, Bristol, exhibited jars and vessels of all kinds of highly glazed stoneware, capable of resisting the action of all spirits and acids; ale bottles, spirit jars, barrels, preserve jars, water filters, feet warmers, etc., at the International Exhibition in Philadelphia. It was recorded that they had won a Prize Medal at the Paris Exhibition in 1867 (Official Catalogue of the International Exhibition Philadelphia, British Section, 1876). |
| 1878 | 10 Dec. ‘Victoria Street. The only building site left in this important street. Frontage of upwards of 70 feet. Ground floor office adjoining, with light cellar underneath. Also, extensive premises in Thomas Street; area 4000 feet. For sale or on lease. Apply Office, Stoneware Potteries, 69 Victoria Street’ (Bristol Mercury). |
| 1880 | 13 Dec. Surrender of lease by Hannah Rebecca Price, widow (St Thomas Street deed 170). |
| 1880 | 14 Dec. Surrender of the lease dated 16 July 1842 by Samuel Newell Price and Alfred Newell Price, stoneware manufacturers, of: All that piece or parcel of land comprising the messuage number 46 Thomas Street … known as the Bunch of Grapes together with premises in the rear thereof now in the occupation of Messrs J & C Price Brothers or their undertenants …’ (BRO P/St T/D/168a). |
| 1881-83 | Joseph & Charles Price & Brothers, manufacturers of stoneware, 39-45 Thomas Street, offices 69 Victoria Street (WD). |
| 1881 | Stoneware manufacturer, visiting 5 Seymour Street, Leicester (72). His wife Sophia was at the family home, 8 Westfield Park, Westbury-on-Trym, with Mary Richards (32), general servant (81C). |
| 1882 | 27 Nov. Described as a stoneware manufacturer, he died at Woodgrove House, Westfield Park. His will was proved on 15 January 1883 by his nephew Alfred Newell Price, stoneware manufacturer, of Fern Hollow, Stoke Bishop. The personal estate was valued at £12,034.13s.2d (PRO Calendar of Wills and Administrations). |
| 1894 | 29 Oct. His widow Sophia died, aged 76 (Brunswick Chapel, tombstone). |
| Children: Sophia, born c1843 in St James’s and St Paul’s parish (61C); Joseph Charles, born c1846 in St James’s and St Paul’s parish (61C); Ann Read, fifth daughter (Brunswick Chapel, tombstone) |