Mianco Partners - The World of Wade

We originally started researching Wade Pottery backstamps for our first book, The World of Wade which was published in 1988. Since that time we have continued researching the subject and have uncovered additional information regarding backstamps. The backstamps we illustrate here are the most extensive compilation of Wade Pottery backstamps found anywhere.

It has been the policy of the Wade Potteries to keep production records for a period of only seven years. Due to this lack of records it has been somewhat of a problem giving exact production dates of items made prior to the 1940s.

In some cases backstamps, sometimes referred to as Mark Types were dated by past employees of the company. In many other cases production dates of many items have been obtained by us from illustrations shown in various pottery related publications. As many of the backstamps overlapped in use, this is by no means an exact way of dating items as, in some cases, old molds were reused and given the current backstamp. It is, therefore, possible to find one particular item with as many as four different backstamps, but by referring to the following list of backstamps (Mark Types) it will be possible for the collector to obtain a general time period of production for many pieces made during the 1930s, and late 1940s through the 1950s. This applies largely to the tableware made by Wade Heath & Company Ltd.

The words "Flaxman" or "Flaxmanware," refers to a type of Matt Glaze finish or Decorated Matt Glaze finish and is often included in a Wade Heath backstamp. These words were taken from the name of A. J. Wade Ltd. factory, Flaxman Tile Works, when both, Wade Heath & Company Ltd. and A. J. Wade Ltd. shared the same premises. With the move of Wade Heath to the Royal Victoria Pottery in 1938, the words Flaxman and Flaxmanware were dropped from the backstamp.

During the war years of 1939 - 1942, Wade Heath used only one backstamp (Mark Type 3) which was used on white ware produced for home consumption only.

A new style of lettering for the word "Wade" was introduced starting with Mark Type 10 when the work "Heath" was dropped from the backstamps. The word "Wade" went through a number of variations until the introduction of the transfer type backstamp, Mark Type 19, which was then also used by George Wade & Son Ltd.

When decorative ware was reintroduced after the war by George Wade in the 1950s, most pieces were either mold marked or had a label affixed to the base.

Backstamps used by Wade Ireland (Ltd). stayed in use for the length of production of various items even though new backstamps were introduced during these periods.

During the years between 1950 - 1970 when Wade Heath in association with Reginald Corfield (Sales) Ltd. were producing large amounts of advertising items, their backstamps went through a number of changes. In 1970, when Wade (PDM) Ltd. was created, a completely new backstamp was introduced. With the creation of Wade Ceramics Ltd. in the early 1990s a new series of backstamps were created.

Also included here are a number of special backstamps used for a limited time on commissioned ware.

Wade & Co.

Wade Heath and Company Ltd.

George Wade & Son Ltd.

Wade Ceramics Ltd.

Wade (Ireland) Ltd.

Wade Regicor and Wade (PDM) Ltd.

Special Backstamps