1855-1894
Also: Thos. Hughes & Son 1805-1909

Illinois China Company (1919-1946) was formed by businessmen James Shaw, William Coogan and David Hart.  Mr. Hart became the President and Mr. Shaw became the Secretary-Treasurer.  It is only an assumption that the pottery only made dinnerware as plates are the only pieces that have been found.

1883-1968

Founders Isaac Knowles, his son Homer S. Knowles, son-in-law John N. Taylor, began a pottery that became the largest pottery in the United States, selling to every state in the union. Isaac was the originator of many improvements in the pottery industry. K.T.K. was the first pottery in the U.S. to use natural gas to fire the kilns. By 1887, K.T.K. operated 16 kilns, 12 decorating kilns, and employed six hundred workers. The company produced a finished cask of product every ten minutes of working time.

As far as Tea Leaf is concerned, Homer Laughlin China Co. (Kitchen Kraft) denies that they ever made or decorated with Tea Leaf but there are many pieces of Kitchen Kraft (which they did make) decorated with gold Tea Leafs.  The exact decorator of those Kitchen Kraft pieces is not known; however, the recently discovered Bahl Pottery Tea Leaf motif closely resembles that used on Kitchen Kraft pieces, and John Bahl was a decorated in East Liverpool, Ohio.

1867-1871

1851-1865
Also: Livesley & Powell & Co.

Morley (& Son) or (& Sons) & Co

1879-1891

1880-1887
Also: John Maddock & Son(s) (Ltd)

The brothers, Joseph and Ernest Mayer who founded the J. & E. Mayer pottery (1881-present), were British potters from a long line of Staffordshire potters.  They knew Tea Leaf and produced it in large quantities with copper lustre covering the brown underglaze motif, a rarity in American Tea Leaf.  Their Tea Leaf was called 'Luster Band and Sprig' as they had known it in England.

McNicol, Burton & Co. was founded by Adolph Fritz, William McClure, John McNicol, Patrick McNicol, William Burton Sr., William Burton Jr. and John Dover.  Within 6 months Fritz and McClure withdrew.  Later John Dover retired and John McNicol sold his interest to his sons, D. E. and H. A.  The company was a very successful pottery, expanding to the point where it employed 40 workers.  The company ceased to exist as McNicol, Burton & Co. on the death of Burton Sr. and the retirment of Burton Jr.  In 1892 it became the D. E. McNicol Pottery Co.

Began in 1875 at Royal Albert, Victoria and Highgate Potteries.  One of the Staffordshire potteries.  After 1897, added "LTD" to the name.  After 1930, "LTD" was not used in the marks.   The mark often incorporates a lion, unicorn, and a coat of arms, athough other marks were also used.

1851-1870.  J & G Meakin was in business from 1851 through the 20th century (later became part of the Wedgwood group).

1853-1855

1880-1904
Also: Mellor, Taylor & Co.

Mercer Pottery Co. was founded in 1868 and in operation until the 1930's.  The head of the company was John Moses who claimed to have made the first semi-porcelain ware in the United States.

Also: JHM
1889-1911

Onondaga Pottery (1871-1966) was organized by a group of businessmen who bought the Empire pottery works for the production of white ware.  The production of irsonstone was discontinued in 1893.  In 1966 the pottery was sold to Syracuse China Co. which is still in business, specializing in kitchen, hotel and restaurant ware. 
Only one known piece decorated in the Tea Leaf motif has been found so far. 

Ott & Brewer (1871-1893) was founded by Jospeh Ott and his nephew, John Hart Brewer.  They took over the pottery facility of Bloor, Ott and Brewer when William Bloor returned to East Liverpool Ohio. changing the name to Ott & Brewer.  The pottery was known as the Eturia facility.  Ott was a well known businessman of Trenton and Brewer was a potter.  The company was recognized as outstanding makers of ironstone as well as developers of American Belleek, winning prizes in the 1876 Centennial Exposition.

1850-1878

In 1851 Thomas Shadford Pinder, Joseph Harvey Bourne and John Hope joined in partnership.  Pinder had previously operated from Swan Bank Works and Fountain Place Works.

The firm moved to the existing Niles Stree Works in 1850.  In 1862 Mr. Hope left the company and that company name changed to Pinder, Bourne & Co.  The "& Co." refered to John Harris and Ernest Johan Berg.  Mr. Bourne left the firm sometime before 1877.

Pioneer Pottery Co. (1884-1900) was founded by Hamer Michaels, I. B. Clark and George Morley.  Before 1884 they operated a two kiln pottery in Wellsville, West Virginia as Morley & Co.  Morley withdrew in 1884 and the pottery continued under the name Pioneer Pottery until 1890 when the pottery closed.  Then this pottery becamee known as Wellsville China Co.

1866-1878
Also see Powell, Bishop & Stonier
 

1878-1891
Also see Powell & Bishop

Red Cliff Ironstone (Hall China) began production in 1903 and continues to this day.  Tea was produced by this firm between 1957 and 1977.  The Tea Leaf produced by this potter is actually a reproduction.  Fred Clifford of Red Cliff Co. purchased old pieces of English Tea Leaf and had it reproduced by Hall China Co. of East Liverpool Ohio.  Hall is a very old company and continues making ironstone and china to this day.  Red Cliff stopped producing Tea Leaf because they could not produce a lustre that wouldn't come off in the dish washer.

William Ridgway & Company was not known as a producer of Tea Leaf decorated wares, but if  "Tea Leaf" is defined as "Lustre band and Sprig" then the two floral motifs flanking a nosegay decoration would qualify.    One of the earliest examples of "Tea Leaf" decoration, their marks can be traced to the period 1834 to 1854.  

In the 1980's former Tea Leaf Club, International member, Ruth Sayer began decorating odd pieces of ironstone made by different potters with copper lustre and theTea Leaf motif.  The original pieces were not marked but eventually she began identifying pieces with marks on the underside.  Marks include her initials "RS" or a Tea Leaf or an RS with a Tea Leaf design.  Later Ruth and her husband also made their own decorated pieces.
 

George and Rachel Scott emigrated to Cincinnati from Staffordshire England where both of their families had a long association with ironstone potteries.  Their factory was a converted tavern and sat on the land now occupied by the Cincinnati ball park.  The pottery was very successful making much undecorated white ware and some decorated with the Tea Leaf motif.  George Scott was a very successful potter and his products were widely distributed.  After his death, his daughter, Sarah, inherited the business and ran it with her husband who was also a potter by trade.

Sebring Pottery Co. (1887-1940) was founded by the five Sebring brothers.  The five kiln pottery was successful enough to add a second plant of six kilns built in the East End of East Liverpool Ohio called the Klondike facility because of its distrance from the center of town.  Sebring Pottery was so successful that the brothers bought land in Ohio in 1898 and built their own city, christened Sebring, which became the site of their potteries.  Tea Leaf products were made in East Liverpool not Sebring Ohio.

Began in 1851 - 1856 in Tunstall, and later at Burslem, part of the Staffordshire Potteries.  Used names such as Anthony Shaw, A. Shaw, Anthony Shaw and Sons, and Anthony Shaw and Company.  The royal coat of arms was often used in their marks.  The firm was taken over by Arthur J. Wilkinson in about 1900 according to Godden.  Anthony Shaw was one of the more prolific potters of copper lustre decorated ironstone.
Tunstall - 1851-1858
Burslem - 1858-1900
Anthony Show & Son(s) - 1882-1900

The founders of Shenango Pottery Co. are unknown but James M. Smith, an inventive business man, was the director of the company.  Originally intended to produce china, the depression dictated the production of ironstone as hotel and restaurant ware were selling well.  At one time, Shenango was the American home of Haviland China (normally made in France).  The American company now produces chinaware.

Also: S F & J

Under the name of Soho Pottery Ltd. from 1901 to 1944.  However the pottery had a varied history which is hightlighted below.

Spode is not known as a producer of Tea Leaf decorated wares.  The dinnerware found with Tea Leaf motifs and marked Copeland-Spode, England, may have been decorated by another firm on Spode blanks.  The mark used dates from 1920 to 1957, but was likely produced in 1934.  An impressed "34" is also found on examples of Spode Tea Leaf. 

Tempest, Brockmann & Co. was founded in Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1862 by Messrs. M. and N. Tempest along with Christian E. Brockmann.  In 1881, the company reorganized under the name Tempest, Brockmann and Sampson Pottery Co. using the English lion and unicorn mark with the letters T. B. & Co. underneath.  In 1887, the pottery was purchased by the only surviving member of the firm, Christian E. Brockmann and became Brockmann Pottery Company.
The only Tea Leaf decorated pieces that have been found to date are cups and saucers.

The Potters Cooperative (aka TPC) was started by a group of disgruntled potters who had been locked out of their potteries after trying to form a Pottery Workers Union.  The facility operated from 1882 to 1925.  The facility used was at the Dresden Works which accounts for the number of pieces marked with Dresden's backstamp.  H. A. McNicol (see McNicol, Burton and D. E. McNicol) became President when the other potters returned to their original works.  

Trenton Pottery Co. (1852-1890) was founded by James Taylor and Henry Speeler.  Originially the pottery was named Taylor & Speeler until 1860 when Speeler sold his interest in the company.  It became the Trenton Pottery Co. in 1865.  In 1875, Isaac Davis became the sole owner and although the pottery was still called Trenton Pottery, it was actually J. Davis Pottery.  Trenton Pottery is NOT the same company as Trenton Potteries.

In 1890, Robert Hall Sr., Silas Ferguson, and John J. Purinton built a six kiln pottery that became known as U. S. Pottery.  A disastrous fire forced the pottery to become part of the East Liverpool Potteries Co. which disbanded in 1900.  After that U. S. Pottery again became an independent company.

Use this when you don't know who the potter was.

The Bailey-Walker China Co. became Walker China Co. when Albert Walker bought out his partner and continued the operation.  They made hotelware in addition to pieces for home use.

Founded by a Mr. Wallace and Joseph Chetwynd, the Wallace & Chetwynd Co. (1881-1901) operated in the former Harker "Wedgewood" pottery.  The facility was renamed "Colonial."  Mr. Chetwynd was a Staffordshire potter who had been employed as a manager and modeler in the Cockson & Chetwynd Pottery.  The Colonial Pottery was noted for the excellence of their ironstone.

Edward Walley - 1845-1858
Also: Edward Walley & Son - 1858-1862

Wedgwood & Co.

Wellsville China Co. (1902-1959) was founded by a company led by Monroe Patterson using the site of the former Pioneer Pottery in Wellsville, Ohio.  The pottery specialized in semi-vitreous products.  The facility was acquired by Sterling China in 1959 and was closed by that company in 1969.

John Wick Jr. founded Wick China Company (1889-1913) as well as the town of Wickboro in Pennsylvania.  Prior to forming this pottery, Mr. Wick was one of the operators of Ford China company in Ford City, Pennsylvania.  Mr. Wick built a pottery, a school and donated land for commercial enterprises all to make the town that bore his name a viable entity.  The pottery. which was located on North Water Street in Wickboro, was destroyed in a fire in 1914.

1870-1892.

1885-1898

Also: Arthur J. Wilkinson Late R. Alcock
 

According to Marks of American Potters by Barber, Willets Manufacturing Co. purchased works formerly operated by Wm Young & Sons in 1879.  On stone china the stamped mark of the Arms of Great Britain.  In 1884 a monogram was adopted.  The company was in operation until 1909.

Also W. M. Co.

formerly William Young & Sons (1857-1879.

1818-1845