William Adams & Sons

William Adams III (1772-1829), the only surviving son of the successful Master Potter Richard Adams, set up his own pottery in 1804 at Cliff Bank Works, Stoke. In 1919, his oldest son, William Adams IV (1798-1865), joined the partnership, and the company name became William Adams & Son. Very soon thereafter, all four sons were in the company, known as William Adams & Sons. Through marriage and purchase, William Adams & Sons acquired the Greenfield Pottery in Tunstall (beginning production for Adams in 1834), which they ran in addition to the Stoke works. The Stoke pottery eventually grew less successful, and the Adams brothers left it to concentrate production at the Greenfield Pottery. William Adams IV died in 1865 and was succeeded by his sons, William Adams V (1865-1905) and Thomas Adams. The company subsequently became known as W. & T. Adams.

William Adams & Sons were committed to exports and set up an export agency known as Adams Brothers between the 1820s and 1840s.

Please note that another company, William Adams & Sons, was in exitence between 1917 and 1965. This is a related but separate company that was incorporated in 1925.