Brannam Pottery
Encyclopedia
Barnstaple
Barnstaple is a town and civil parish in the local government district of North Devon in the county of Devon, England, UK. It lies west southwest of Bristol, north of Plymouth and northwest of the county town of Exeter. The old spelling Barnstable is now obsolete.It is the main town of the...
in 1848.
Thomas Brannam took over the lease of an existing pottery at North Walk, and another in Litchdon Street Barnstaple. Like other pottery firms of the time the firm originally made utilitarian wares such as basic household ware, floor tiles, bricks and sewage pipes. This was their "bread and butter" trade although one of his decorative jugs secured a medal at the Great Exhibition in 1851.
In 1867 Thomas's son, Charles Hubert Brannam, left school to start work at the pottery aged 12. Charles was very artistic. He had won a prize for art at school and also won the Queen's Prize for Drawing in 1870. He became educated in the theory and practice of ceramics. Charles was encouraged by a local dignitary Mr William Frederick Rock who invited him to London where he studied pottery in the various museums. In 1879 he persuaded his father to allow him to produce art ware. To begin with his father agreed only provided that Charles paid for the materials he used. Charles eventually took over the Litchdon Street pottery and further developed the art pottery department featuring the process of "Sgraffito" work i.e. scratching into a covering of "slip" to show the clay beneath. He recruited skilled designers but also continued to throw the ware himself. In 1885 he received an order from Queen Victoria and this resulted in excellent publicity for the business. In 1886 Charles registered the name Royal Barum Ware and ensured it was sold by several firms London including Liberty.
Charles handed the business over to his sons Charles William Brannam and John Woolacott (Jack) Brannam in 1913. In 1914 CH Brannam and Sons became a limited company. Jack's son Peter carried out considerable modernisation in the post-war period but when he retired in 1979 he sold the business to Candy Tiles of Newton Abbot. They found the old Litchdon Street premises too cramped in and 1989 moved the company to a site on the Roundswell Industrial Estate. It was still called "C.H.Brannam & Sons Ltd" despite no member of the family being then connected with it and ceased operations in 2005.
The original premises in Litchdon Street still partly survive with their terracotta detailing and stained glass with a preserved kiln still visible in the car park of a medical practice.
The company has used many marks over the years including C H Brannam, Barum and Barnstaple.
The company's collection of ceramic works was purchased by the Museum of Barnstaple and North Devon with the help of the Art Fund.. A new book "Some men who made Barnstaple..." by Pauline Brain 2010 including information and colour photos of Brannam "Art Pottery" and other North Devon potteries is on sale at the Museum.