Hicks and Meigh 

The Richard Hicks and Job Meigh partnership of High Street, Shelton began manufacture of ironstone wares in the early 1800s. Richard Hicks had married Lydia Meigh in 1801 and was a trustee of the Bethesda Methodist chapel in Hanley (Haggar, 1951). It is striking that the early Hicks and Meigh porcelain is so similar to that of another staunch Methodist, Job Ridgway. There is documentary evidence that Hicks and Meigh were in partnership by 1803 and were making porcelain by  1813 (Ironside, 1998).  However, since they made bute cups and these were going  out of fashion by this time, they probably started porcelain manufacture earlier than this. Some time after 1822 the partnership was joined by the firm's traveller and became Hicks, Meigh and Johnson. When Richard Hicks retired in 1835, the partnership ended. (for fuller account see chap 17 in Godden, 1983, and Steve Birk's website).

Click here to see the different pieces in a Hicks and Meigh New Oval Teaset.

Hicks and Meigh bute cups have a loop handle with two gentle kicks, more generous than Ridgway with a more rounded profile (see fig 23 in Ironside, 1998). The handle is mounted close to the cup rim.  The top handle attachment is rounded, the bottom is rounded or slightly pointed. Finely potted with even wall thickness, and very finely crazed glaze. The foot recess does not have vertical edges, they tend to be slightly curved. Slight flair at cup rim. Usually unmarked but blue transfer patterns often have pseudo chinese seal mark (see below).
Examples
Hicks and Meigh  cup with a Ridgway-style "loop" handle with two gentle kicks along the lower edge. Distinct flair at rim. Creamy body and very finely crazed glaze. Shallow foot recess with gently curved edge. Came with slop bowl in same pattern with 29 on base (see right 5mm). This is Hicks and Meigh number (Ironside, 1999). (aj199, h56, w87.5, b37, handle: h17.0, v31, 18, w7.2, 5.4, t4)
A cup with a Ridgway-style "loop" handle with two gentle kicks along the lower edge. Finely crazed creamy body, slight flare at rim. Shallow foot recess with gently curved edge. Decorated with hand coloured red transfer. From teaset with new oval teapot marked with pattern 35 in red (see right). Possibly  Hicks and Meigh? (aj130, h55.8, w87.8, b39.2  handle: h16.4, v30.2, 18.6, k30.1, w7.4, 5.9, t4.6)
A cup with a Ridgway-style "loop" handle with two gentle kicks along the lower edge. Creamy body and very finely crazed glaze, slight flare at rim. Shallow foot recess with gently curved edge. Possibly  Hicks and Meigh pattern 27. (aj484, h56.3, w89.5, b39.9 (45), handle:16 (20.1), v31.5, w7.4, 5.8, t4.1)
 A cup with a Ridgway-style "loop" handle with two gentle kicks along the lower edge. Finely crazed glaze, slight flare at rim. Shallow foot recess with gently curved edge. Comparison with fig 23 in  Ironside (1998) suggests  Hicks and Meigh.  (aj054, h56.5, w89, b36.6 (41.9) handle: h17 (20.5), v28.8, w7.2, 5.5, t4.2)
 A cup with a Ridgway-style "loop" handle with two gentle kicks along the lower edge. Glaze not crazed, very slight flare at rim. Shallow foot recess with vertical edge. Comparison with fig 23 in  Ironside (1998) suggests  Hicks and Meigh.  (aj548, h53.8, w86.2, b33.9 (39) handle: h15.6 (19.6), v28.9, w7.4, 5.7, t4.3)
 A cup with a Ridgway-style "loop" handle with two gentle kicks along the lower edge. Creamy body, finely crazed glaze, slight flare at rim. Shallow foot recess with gently curved edge. Possibly  Hicks and Meigh.  (aj054, h54.2, w84.7, b41.4 (46.8) handle: h17.1 (21.7), v30.9, k28.8, w7.3, 5.7, t4.1)
A cup with a Ridgway-style "loop" handle with two gentle kicks. White body, slight flare at rim. Shallow foot recess. Hand painted. Hicks and Meigh? (aj725, h54.1, w83.5, b38.9 (44.1)  handle: h16.3 (19.7), v29, k27.1, w7.4, 5.3, t3.7)  
A cup with a Ridgway-style "loop" handle with two gentle kicks. Finely crazed creamy body, slight flare at rim. Shallow foot recess. Decorated with hand coloured red transfer. From teaset with London shape teapot and other piecess marked with pattern 313 in red. Hicks and Meigh? (aj733, h56, w85.5, b42.8 (48.2)  handle: h17.6 (21.6), v30, k28.7, w6.9, 5.3, t4.3)
 A cup with a Ridgway-style "loop" handle with two gentle kicks along the lower edge. Fine potting in creamy body. Glaze finely crazed. Bat print in puce with blue lines. Possibly Hicks and Meigh. (aj309, h56.3, w85.4, b39.5 (46) handle: h17.3 (21.1) , v31.2, k29.2, w7.2, 5.8, t4.4)  
 A cup with a Ridgway-style "loop" handle with two gentle kicks along the lower edge. Fine potting in creamy body. Glaze finely crazed. Bat print in puce with blue lines. Possibly Hicks and Meigh. (m047, h56, w84, b (47) ) Miller  
 A cup with a Ridgway-style "loop" handle with two gentle kicks along the lower edge. Bat print in puce. Possibly Hicks and Meigh.(aj699, h57, w86.1, b35 handle: h17.1, v29.3, k28.9, w7, 5.4, t4.1)
A cup with a Ridgway-style "loop" handle with two gentle kicksand rounded attachments. Finely potted in creamy body, slightest flare at rim. Shallow foot recess. Decorated with different puce bat prints on each side and on saucer. Possibly  Hicks and Meigh? (aj726, h53.2, w88.3, b42.1 (46.1) handle: h16.2 (20.1), v29.3, 17.5, k28.9, w7.4, 6, t4.3)

 

 

 

A cup with a Ridgway-style "loop" handle with two gentle kicks along the lower edge and rounded attachments. Finely potted in creamy body, slightest flare at rim. Shallow foot recess. Decorated with black bat prints different on each side and on saucer. Possibly  Hicks and Meigh? (aj629, h57.2, w87.3, b34.8 (40.9) handle: h16.6 (20.7), v29.3, 17.5, k28.9, w7, 5.1, t4)
 A cup with a Ridgway-style "loop" handle with two gentle kicks along the lower edge. Distinct flare at rim. Bat print in puce. Possibly Hicks and Meigh.(aj562, h56.6, w87.7, b35.8 (40.6) handle: h17 (21), v31.9, k30, w7.6, 5.8, t4.2)
 A cup with a Ridgway-style "loop" handle with two gentle kicks along the lower edge. Veranda pattern transfer print and  blue seal mark on base (ht 5mm) like figs 17 and 18 in Ironside (1992) suggest Hicks and Meigh. (aj491, h55, w83.8, b43.7 (48.7) handle: h16.3 (20.8), v29.5, k28.6, w7.1, 5.8, t4.4)
 A can with a Ridgway-style "loop" handle with two gentle kicks along the lower edge. Veranda pattern transfer print with gilt rim line and  blue seal mark on base (ht 5.5mm) like figs 17 and 18 in Ironside (1992) suggest Hicks and Meigh. (aj444, h58.8, w64.9, b55.1 (62.2) handle: h17.5 (22), v32.4, k28.5, w7.1, 5.9, t4.3)
 A can with a Ridgway-style "loop" handle with two gentle kicks along the lower edge (restoration at lower attachment). Veranda pattern transfer print with gilt rim line and  blue seal mark on base like figs 17 and 18 in Ironside (1992). Possibly Hicks and Meigh. (aj169, h57.3, w66.1, b54.4 handle: h17.7, v30.5, k28.8, w7.2, 5.9, t4.1)
 A can with a Ridgway-style "loop" handle with two gentle kicks along the lower edge.  Possibly Hicks and Meigh. (aj319, h59.2, w62.8, b54.5 (62.3) handle: h17.3 (22.4), v31.1, k30.2, w7.3, 5.5, t4.4)

References

Berthoud, M (1990) "A Compendium of British Cups", Micawber Publications, Bridgnorth. Emmerson, R. (1992) "British Teapots and Tea Drinking" HMSO, London. Godden, G. A. .(1983) The Hicks and Meigh porcelains, 1816 - 1835 in Staffordshire Porcelain. ed. Godden, G. A. Granada. Haggar, R. (1951) "The Masons of Lane Delph." Ironside, M. (1992) "The pseudo-Chinese seal marks" North. Cer. Soc. Newsl. 86, 27-30. Ironside, M. (1993) "The pseudo-Chinese seal marks" North. Cer. Soc. Newsl. 89, 25-29. Ironside, M. (1994) "The pseudo-Chinese seal marks" North. Cer. Soc. Newsl. 95, 35-38.   Ironside, M. (1998) "Hicks and Meigh Porcelain of the 1813 - 1822 Period: Dessert Wares and Tea Wares." Morley College Ceramics Circle Bulletin, Series 3, (No: 1). Ironside, M. (1999) "Yellow Shells" North. Cer. Soc. Newsl. 113, 26-33.  Miller, P and Berthoud, M (1985) "An anthology of British Teapots", Micawber Publications, Bridgnorth.

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