William Henry Goss
Encyclopedia
Gossware
Born in London to Richard Goss and Sophia Mann, William was a student at the School of DesignSchool of Design
School of Design may refer to:* Carnegie Mellon School of Design* The School of Design, the organization that stages the annual New Orleans parade, Rex* University of Pennsylvania School of Design* Parsons The New School for Design...
at Somerset House
Somerset House
Somerset House is a large building situated on the south side of the Strand in central London, England, overlooking the River Thames, just east of Waterloo Bridge. The central block of the Neoclassical building, the outstanding project of the architect Sir William Chambers, dates from 1776–96. It...
in London, from where in 1857 he was employed as chief artist of the Stoke upon Trent firm of William Taylor Copeland
William Taylor Copeland
William Taylor Copeland, MP, Alderman was a British businessman and politician who served as Lord Mayor of London and a Member of Parliament.- Family and business :...
. W. T. Copeland eventually bought the business interests of his partner Josiah Spode
Josiah Spode
Josiah Spode was an English potter and the founder of the English Spode pottery works which became very famous for the quality of its wares. He is often credited with the establishment of blue underglaze transfer printing in Staffordshire in 1781–84, and with the definition and introduction in c...
. Shortly after, in 1858, William started his own business in Stoke upon Trent. At first he produced ivory porcelain of such quality as to merit an award at the 1851 International Exhibition
The Great Exhibition
The Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of all Nations or The Great Exhibition, sometimes referred to as the Crystal Palace Exhibition in reference to the temporary structure in which it was held, was an international exhibition that took place in Hyde Park, London, from 1 May to 15 October...
. His experiments led to marked improvements in jewelled porcelain and heraldic china. It was not until the 1880's, under the influence of his sons Adolphus, Victor and Huntley, were the famous small white-glazed vases and pots with heraldic arms for presentations being produced. These items made up a large portion of his production. These were soon joined by small items depicting interesting local scenery.
In 1906, a League of Goss Collectors was founded, becoming the International League in 1918
The business was taken over by Cauldon Potteries in 1929, the name Goss still being used. Finally it became a subsidiary of the Royal Doulton
Royal Doulton
The Royal Doulton Company is an English company producing tableware and collectables, dating to 1815. Operating originally in London, its reputation grew in The Potteries, where it was a latecomer compared to Spode, Wedgwood and Minton...
group.. By 1940, the Goss factory had ceased production.
In the late 1960's, Gossware became very collectable and in 1970 a modern Goss Collectors club was founded. Nearly all pieces of Gosware can be identified by a Goshawk crest on the base with W. H. Goss printed underneath. Pieces made after 1931 also have the word England below the mark.
Besides his work in pottery, he wrote a few books, was the biographer of Llewellynn Jewitt, was vice-president of the North Staffordshire Field Club
North Staffordshire Field Club
The North Staffordshire Field Club was an organisation founded in 1865 to study the natural history, geology, industrial history and local history of North Staffordshire, EnglandIts president from 1865-70 was industrialist and banker James Bateman FRS....
, a fellow of the Geographical Society and the Royal Meteorological Society
Royal Meteorological Society
The Royal Meteorological Society traces its origins back to 3 April 1850 when the British Meteorological Society was formed as a society the objects of which should be the advancement and extension of meteorological science by determining the laws of climate and of meteorological phenomena in general...
.
His wife was Georgiana Goldswain whom he married in 1854 and they produced seven children, his son Adolphus later joining the business.
He was buried in Hartshill
Hartshill
Hartshill is a village in the borough of North Warwickshire, England.Hartshill is three miles from Nuneaton town centre but is still regarded as a suburb of the town despite being in the North Warwickshire borough....
cemetery.