Brown-Westhead Moore & Co (BWM)

Brown‑Westhead, Moore & Co., established in 1862 at Cauldon Place, Stoke‑on‑Trent, grew from the Ridgway pottery founded in 1802. Under Thomas Brown‑Westhead and William (later James) Moore, it became one of Britain’s largest ceramic producers, famous for earthenware, porcelain, majolica, and sanitary ware. The firm earned international awards, including a Grand Prix in Paris (1889)—and displayed at global exhibitions like Philadelphia (1876) and Sydney (1879). By the 1880s it employed around 1,400 artisans, operating numerous kilns and ovens. In 1905 it was renamed Cauldon Ltd; in 1920 it became Cauldon Potteries Ltd, later absorbed into the Wedgwood group. Renowned for its bold Victorian designs and technical excellence, especially in majolica its wares, now mostly antique, remain highly prized by collectors today.