Memories
North Field Pottery
When looking the tradespeoples ads , I saw one for George HAWLEY, North Field Pottery.
The name Northfield rang a bell because my maternal grandparents, Sidney and Harriet Smith, who moved to Rotherham from
Ferrybridge with my Mum, to live on Northfield Lane and to work in the Pottery there. They had worked at the Ferrybridge
Pottery. It was when they were demolishing buildings on Northfield that my Gran was offered the council house 'up'
East Dene.
During the war (WW11) we used to visit Gran who was a cook and cleaning lady at A.T.Green & Sons at the far
end of Northfield Lane. I believe that A.T. Green & Sons built undercarriages for freight trains. There was a pigsty
in the corner of the worksyard and they were fed from my Gran's kitchen scraps. Then the pig would be slaughtered for
Christmas and shared amongst the small work force. Later, Gran was to become housekeeper at Walton near Wakefield for 90
year old Mr. Green. I used to love to go and stay with them on school holidays. I would travel by myself on the train
from Rotherham (Masbro) to Walton's small station back in 1948-1951. There were always hanging baskets and tubs of flowers
on the platform. That's nearly 60 years ago now.
Shirley
Editor's Note: Northfield Pottery was opened in 1863 by William and George Hawley. Renamed Hawley Brothers in 1868, the company specialised in earthenware. They exported to America as well as supplying the local market. The firm became a limited company in 1897, from 1903 until about 1919 they were trading as the Northfield Hawley Pottery Co Ltd.