Corn Brothers tiles
This company operated out of the Bridge Tile Works, Tunstall, from around 1897 to 1912, making a large number of tiles, especially moulded designs. Many of the designs were unremarkable, though the peacock feather bottom left corner was better and popular. Centre left is part of the 'Rosebud' series, after book illustrations by Randolph Caldecott, it is just possible a Corn Bros blank was decorated by another company.
The Corn family were involved in several different companies at the time in Stoke. Edward Corn bought a pottery works in 1837, he retired around 1850 and the company was run by his sons, William (d.1885) and Edward (d.1891). The sons of the younger Edward, Alfred Henry Corn (d.1916) and Edmund Richards Corn (d.1945) ran the business W&E Corn, which became Henry Richards in 1903. An R Corn, registered a tile design in 1898, giving an address of the Bridge Tile Works, Longport. This seems to have been Reginald Corn, who had worked with Alfred and Edmund but split away and used the Bridge Tile Works. Perhaps he established the company Corn Brothers (or there was an agreement with his brothers that he could use the name Corn Brothers while the others used W&E Corn). However, the story is still not 100% clear, the history of Richards Tiles says three companies in Stoke were using the name 'Corn' at the same time, which is why their name was switched to 'Henry Richards', and I don't know whether the family of William Corn (d.1885) worked in the industry.
If you are interested in this sort of thing, perhaps the Tiles & Architectural Ceramics Society is up your street - take a look at tilesoc.org.uk/tacs/
Corn Brothers tiles
This company operated out of the Bridge Tile Works, Tunstall, from around 1897 to 1912, making a large number of tiles, especially moulded designs. Many of the designs were unremarkable, though the peacock feather bottom left corner was better and popular. Centre left is part of the 'Rosebud' series, after book illustrations by Randolph Caldecott, it is just possible a Corn Bros blank was decorated by another company.
The Corn family were involved in several different companies at the time in Stoke. Edward Corn bought a pottery works in 1837, he retired around 1850 and the company was run by his sons, William (d.1885) and Edward (d.1891). The sons of the younger Edward, Alfred Henry Corn (d.1916) and Edmund Richards Corn (d.1945) ran the business W&E Corn, which became Henry Richards in 1903. An R Corn, registered a tile design in 1898, giving an address of the Bridge Tile Works, Longport. This seems to have been Reginald Corn, who had worked with Alfred and Edmund but split away and used the Bridge Tile Works. Perhaps he established the company Corn Brothers (or there was an agreement with his brothers that he could use the name Corn Brothers while the others used W&E Corn). However, the story is still not 100% clear, the history of Richards Tiles says three companies in Stoke were using the name 'Corn' at the same time, which is why their name was switched to 'Henry Richards', and I don't know whether the family of William Corn (d.1885) worked in the industry.
If you are interested in this sort of thing, perhaps the Tiles & Architectural Ceramics Society is up your street - take a look at tilesoc.org.uk/tacs/