When Armitage introduced the world’s first coloured sanitary ware in 1927, it transformed bathroom design. Using rare surviving colour samples, this article traces the evolution of the company’s distinctive colour range, explains how salesmen used these samples to market Armitage products, and explores the changing fashions that shaped British bathrooms from the 1930s onwards.
Category: Miscellaneous
The Coronation Carnival of 1937
How did Armitage and Handsacre celebrate the Coronation of George VI in 1937? Drawing on committee records, newspaper reports and surviving invoices, this article recreates a remarkable day of carnival processions, fancy dress, races, teas, torchlight parades and a giant bonfire. It also reveals the extraordinary planning behind the celebrations and offers a vivid glimpse of community life in the parish before the Second World War.
A shipwreck find
When divers explored the wreck of the Josephine Willis in the English Channel, they uncovered an extraordinary cargo of pottery destined for New Zealand—including a beautifully decorated water closet made at Armitage in the 1850s. The discovery sheds new light on Robert Hedderwick Penman, his short-lived pottery partnership and the company’s early export trade.
What’s in a name?
An unusual recruitment advert led to a surprising discovery about how Edward Johns & Co. helped shape the language of the bathroom. Company bulletins from the 1930s reveal why “lavatory” disappeared from its catalogues, why “washbasin” took its place, and how the firm debated the best name for the humble W.C.
Guilty or Not Guilty? You Be the Jury
Would you have convicted them? Three real court cases from Armitage and Handsacre challenge readers to weigh the evidence before discovering the verdicts. From an alleged theft of washing, to a dispute over a hedgerow and an assault involving wandering cows, the cases reveal how everyday disagreements reached the magistrates and juries of nineteenth-century Staffordshire, while offering a fascinating glimpse into village life and the workings of local justice.
The pottery pay dispute in 1914
A surviving pay claim from 1914 provides a remarkable snapshot of the Armitage Pottery workforce on the eve of war. It records the wage dispute between employers and potters, identifies many of the men who signed the claim, and reveals how dramatically their lives were changed within a matter of months.
The 1921 census is here
The release of the 1921 Census provides the most detailed snapshot of Armitage and Handsacre available until the 1951 Census is opened in 2052. Compiled just after the bitter miners’ strike of 1921, it records every household, workplace and occupation, revealing how industrial unrest affected local families. From coal miners and pottery workers to priests, visitors and schoolchildren, it offers an extraordinary glimpse of parish life a century ago—and the complete transcription is now available on this website.
So, what’s a Challerpoy then?
What on earth is a “Challerpoy”? A mysterious word in an eighteenth-century churchwarden’s account leads to an investigation into old handwriting, changing dialect and the forgotten responsibilities of parish officials. Following the clues through 250-year-old records, this article reveals how one puzzling entry uncovers a surprising story of magpies, vermin laws and the challenges of interpreting historic documents.
Your dog ate my tripe!
A claim for five shillings after a dog stole a pan of tripe sounds almost unbelievable today, yet it really happened in Armitage. Beginning with this humorous court case, the article explores the changing place of tripe in British diets, the lives of local tripe sellers Sarah Sefton and Kate Conway, and how an everyday food now regarded with distaste once helped sustain working families across the parish.
The origin of the word ‘loo’
Where did the word “loo” come from? Among the many theories, one little-known explanation comes from an intriguing 1973 letter linking an aristocratic practical joke to one of Britain’s most familiar words. This article examines the competing origins of “loo” and considers why one story may be more believable than the rest.