ABERDEEN, James Campbell Hamilton Gordon, 7th Earl & Marquis
of Aberdeen, Viceroy of Ireland 1886. His wife, Lady Aberdeen, was a promoter of the Arts
and also much involved in the issue of women's health. Lectured all over Ireland including
Belleek.
ALLINGHAM, LOUISE and MAUDE. Daughters of William Allingham (half brother of the poet
Allingham). They lived in Ballyshannon, only four miles from the Pottery, and earned a
little money painting on porcelain which they would bring to the Pottery to be fired. They
also painted on Belleek blanks. Their work was mostly signed.
AMPHORA. Greek or Roman vessel with handles on both sides at the neck and pointed at the
bottom to spike in the ground. Design source of the Amphora" centrepieces and lamps.
ARMSTRONG, ANNIE (1828 - 88). The daughter of George Nairn. She was a landscape painter
and designer exhibiting at the Royal Hibernian Academy from 1844 - 1847. About 1848 she
married R. W. ARMSTRONG. She worked very closely with Gallimore when he came from Goss, so
it is difficult to attribute work to either but the Artichoke Tea Ware is thought to have
been her design.
ARMSTRONG, KATIE. The daughter of William Armstrong. She was responsible for the design of
the Neptune Tea Ware.
ARMSTRONG, WILLIAM S. Co-founder of the pottery.
ARNOLD, CYRIL. Eric's brother. Head of the decorating department from 1946 - 66. Took over
the management after Eric Arnold's sudden death in 1966.
ARNOLD, ERIC. Harry's brother, Managing Director 1940 - 66. in 1946 he installed two
biscuit kilns designed by Allport of Stoke.
ARNOLD, HARRY. Manager 1933 - 40.BACCHUS. God of wine, featured on
"mask" ware.
BLACK. Reputed to have been one of the men who came with W. Bromley from Goss.
BLARNEY. Blarney Castle. People flock to kiss the Blarney stone which will give them the
gift of flattering speech!
BOOK OF KELLS. A beautifully illustrated manuscript containing four Gospels and general
dated c. A.D. 800.
BORONIUXZ, MADAME. A Hungarian designer who worked for the Pottery from 1922 - 1926,
during K.E. Leod's management. She introduced the Celtic range from designs adapted from
the Book of Kells. Modelled by F. Slater.
BOWLER. Head kiln man. Returned to England in the 80's.
BROMLEY, WILLIAM. Foreman at Goss, Stoke-on-Trent. He joined Belleek in 1863, bringing
with him William Gallimore, Goss's chief modeller, and some eleven other craftsmen. He
returned to Goss in 1868. Then in 1883 he emigrated to the USA to manage OTT & Brewer.
BURDON. Came with W. Bromley.
CAVALIER. Supporter of King Charles in the Civil War of 1640 - 60.
CLEARY, EDWARD. Manager 1900 - 19. A painter before taking over from his brother as
manager.
CLEARY, FERGUS. Grandson of James Clearly, he came to the Pottery in 1978 and worked in
the modelling department. Responsible for several new designs.
CLEARY, JAMES. Manager 1884 - 1900. Designed and modelled the Cleary range. Trained by
Gallimore and succeeded him as Head of the Modelling Department. During his management,
Belleek won a Gold Medal the 1887 Adelaide Exhibition in Australia. His indenture is still
in existence, showing his starting pay to be 2s. 6d. a week.
CLYTIE. A water nymph who fell in love with Apollo. Her love was unrequited and she was
transformed into a Sunflower.
DERRIGAN. Manager 1920 - 22.
DICKENS, CHARLES (1812 - 1870). A popular bust produced by a number of potteries.~
DOLAN, FRANCIS JOSEPH. Manager 1925 - 30. A native of Belleek and mainly noted for his
success in increasing pottery sales abroad.
DOLAN, MICHAEL. Manager 1930 - 31. He was a genius with applied flower work on baskets,
mirrors and frames and responsible for the introduction of large covered baskets. He left
Belleek in 1926 to work for Crown Derby, returning to Ireland in 1938. He died in 1951.
DUNBAR, REVD HALAHAN. Curate at Belleek from 1865 - 1867. An amateur modeller, he is
reputed to have modelled the Group of Hounds.
ELLIS, J. Coming from Stoke, he was considered to be one of the Pottery's most
skilled painters and is best known for "The Shoeing of the Bay Mare".
FINNER. Gaelic translation "Wood of the Ford". The second Townland
within which Belleek lies.
GALLAGHER, HUGH, Trained by Slater and worked in the modelling department,
retired in 1982.
GALLIMORE, WILLIAM WOOD. Among the most important craftsmen Armstrong enticed from
England. Gallimore studied at Art School in Stoke-on-Trent before entering the studio of
George Read (a well-known modeller). Later he studied figure modelling under Louis Kremer.
Before arriving in Belleek in 1863 as Chief modeller, Gallimore had been employed in
several of the English potteries including Copeland and Goss. Through these factories he
would have had experience with parian. It is difficult to attribute actual designs to
Gallimore, as his work overlapped with that of Mrs Armstrong, but between them they
produced over five hundred designs. He is known to have modelled the bust of Charles
Dickens. In the early 1880s, after losing his right arm in a shooting accident, he
returned to Goss and continued his work there. eventually he emigrated to America as a
designer for a number of potteries. He died in 1891.
GAVIGAN, JOE. Trained in the modelling department with Gallagher, under Slater.
HARRIS. A Painter, modeller and transfer artist, he left Belleek in 1910. Best
known for his Five O'Clock Tea Set.
HENSHALL, ALBERT. William Henshall's son, he came to Belleek as a boy with his family. He
learnt to paint whilst at the pottery, but returned to England in early manhood.
HENSHALL, WILLIAM. Coming from England, Henshall introduced basket making and flower
modelling. He also painted on porcelain and a wall plaque of pheasants set in a woodland
scene is signed by him. He remained with Belleek until he died in 1902.
HORRIGAN. Came with W. Bromley.
JOHNSTONE, GERTRUDE. Daughter of David Johnstone, a Belleek hotelier, she was a
gifted artist who painted the most beautiful flowers on Belleek blanks, but worked outside
the Pottery. Unlike Sheerin she rarely signed her work. She died in 1902 whilst in her
late twenties.
KIRK, W. BOYTON. Son of a Dublin sculptor, he worked for Royal Worcester where
he modelled many of Royal Worcester's parian figures. He had a close association with
Belleek, advising Armstrong on the development of parian and is thought to have modelled
the "Belgian Hawkers". He was also responsible for modelling the famous
Shakespeare service made from Fermanagh clay which won the Gold award at the Dublin
exhibition in 1853.
LEINSTER. One of the four provinces of Ireland and known as the province of the
farmers. Throughout the early centuries of Irish history the people of Leinster were
obliged to render the High King of Ireland a tribute, known as the "baroma" (cow
counting).
LENNOX. Came with W. Bromley.
LEOD, K. E. Manager 1922 - 25. Responsible for the revival of porcelain and the reduction
of earthen ware. He modernised the works and increased trade with America.
LIPTON, SIR THOMAS. Scottish grocer, self-made man and millionaire. He realised the
potential of supplying the public with groceries and is said to have painted his name on a
herd of pigs which he then let loose on the streets of Glasgow, causing havoc but ensuring
that no-one forgot his name. He was on his way to Australia when he stopped in Ceylon and
there became interested in the potential of "Tea Gardens", many of which he
bought, thus entering the tea trade. He is also well known for competing in the America's
Cup which he did five times, as as a supporter of the arts.
MAGUIRE, MICHAEL. A pupil of Gallimore he was responsible for designing the
shamrock ware which was modelled by Gallimore. Shamrock ware has stood the test of time
and is still in production today.
McDERMOTT, THOMAS. A local man who worked as a painter and gilder for Belleek about 1868.
McFERRAN. A parian caster who came with W. Bromley.
McGARRIGLE, MICHAEL. A local man who worked as a painter and gilder for Belleek about
1868.
McKINLEY, WILLIAM (1843 - 1901).25th President of the USA whose protectionist tariffs
necessitated the first Belleek mark change.
MOOHAN, PATRICK. A local man who worked as a painter and gilder with McGarrigle in
1868.
MOOR. Family living at Cliff house near Belleek.
PATTERSON. Came with W. Bromley.
POOLE, JOSHUA. The first manager of the Belleek Pottery Works Co. Ltd., formed after
Armstrong's death in 1884. Highly recommended but remained only a few months before
leaving and emigrating to East Liverpool, Ohio. There he managed the art section of
Knowles, Taylor and knowles, one of the American potteries to name their products
"Belleek".
POPE. Came with W. Bromley.
RANKIN. Came with W. Bromley.
RATHMORE. Gaelic translation "Big Fort". North-east of Belleek is the townland
of Rathmore which takes its name from the early fort, dating back to AD 800-900, which
used to overlook the village.
ROYALS. Carpenter who came with W. Bromley.
ROUNDHEAD. Supporter of Oliver Cromwell and Parliament in the Civil War, 1640 - 60.
RYLES, ROBERT. Recorded as working the pottery in 1874.
SCARLET, SAM. Head mould maker from Stoke. Drowned in the Erne in 1880s.
SHAMROCK. National emblem of Ireland. Legend tells that St Patrick, whilst trying to
explain the Holy Trinity to the Chiefs of Ireland on the Hill of Tara, used a shamrock to
illustrate the "three in one".
SHEERIN, EUGENE (1856 - 1915). From Trillick in County Tyrone. Eugene developed rheumatic
fever at four , leaving him an invalid and confined to a wheelchair. At an exhibition in
Belfast in 1887 Armstrong noticed Eugene's work and offered him a job in Belleek's
decorating department. He lived in No. 1 Rathmore terrace - which used to be known as
English row, having been built to house the "skilled English" workers brought to
Belleek by Armstrong to train the Irish. Sherrin trained under J. Ellis, the famous
painter, and attended the Dublin School of Art. His principal and most beautiful work was
a breakfast service commissioned by Dr. O. Ternan: 58 pieces, each painted with a
different named view of Ireland. When Sherrin's nephew, who cared for him at Belleek,
died, Sherrin retired to Dublin and lived with his brother.
SLATER, Frederick. Came to Belleek from England in 1893. He married a local girl and
remained in Belleek. He was responsible for the International Centre Piece, the largest
piece ever made by Belleek. this took six weeks to create and won a Gold medal at the
Paris Exhibition in 1900. Slater modelled the Blarney , and re-modelled the New Shell and
the Limpet tea sets. He died in 1931.
SYDENHAM, JAMES (1624 - 89). English doctor of world repute.
TARA. Hill of Tara, County Meath. The coronation place of Kings of Ireland.
Abandoned in the sixth century AD.
THORNHILL, GEORGE. A local man who worked as a painter and gilder for Belleek around 1874.
TROUGHTON, ROGER. He was initially appointed MD of Belleek Pottery limited by the IDB but
after two years made an offer to buy the Pottery, which was accepted. His offer left him
owning 70% of the Company, with the other 30% owned by Allied Irish Bank.
UPTON. Manager 1931 - 33. Known as "the earthenware man". Dedicated
to earthenware, Mr Upton organised a sale to dispose of excess parian stock. Trestle
tables were erected outside the Pottery and parian pieces were displayed. Times were hard
and most of the sales were made for 2d. and 3d. per piece. After three days the sale was
brought to an end and Mr Upton ordered workmen to go out and use sledge-hammers to break
up any remaining pieces. Unfortunately these were the larger pieces which are now so rare.
VENUS. Roman goddess of Beauty, growth and Love, identified with the Greek
Aphrodite - Goddess of love.
WALKINS. Came with W. Bromley.
WESLEY, JOHN (1703 - 91). Founder of the Methodist Church. He also preached at Belleek. |
