Email to Nicholas Gent- Pinxton porcelain society

I have been given your email by Spencer Bailey at Derby Museum as I have made an appointment to view Pinxton Porcelain at the museum. I hope you don’t mind me contacting you.

I am a contemporary artist currently studying a Master’s Degree. I am a painter however most recently I have been working with ceramics. I was born and brought up in Pinxton but I am currently living in Norfolk and run a ceramics studio with my wife. You may well know my family as I think my uncle Andrew Stuart knows you .I began 'potting' around five years ago and have learnt ‘part time' to throw . I was interested in contacting you already with regards to Pinxton Porcelain, its history and location when Spencer gave me your email. Very little information about the pottery was common knowledge when I was growing up, but very few people in the village I have spoken to about it know of the pottery or have any interest which I find appalling! I had heard about your book but sadly have not yet obtained a copy to read. I have been in touch with Norman Taylor already but I wondered if you might be able to shed light on a few questions.

Firstly, I am aware that the pottery worked in porcelain, where was it sourced? Was it mixed with other ingredients? I have brought back to Norfolk samples of clay from South Normanton and used them in my own work as slips so far. My work is more akin to studio pottery and contemporary ceramics than fine porcelain ware and I am interested in my relationship with location, landscape and memory.

Norman says the pottery was located at the head of the canal at Hawley’s Pond? I went searching for its location based on the information I could find on the internet before contacting him and assumed that part of the site was located in the grounds of the property at the very end of mill lane. There was a building made up partly of a stone structure in the grounds (lorry repairs? Sadly the owner knew nothing about the pottery.)

I also wondered about the scenes painted on the work in relation to Pinxton. I know there is a view of Brook hill hall, but are there other images and would you know the viewpoints now? I thought it might be interesting to do a comparison.

In terms of manufacture, how were the images transferred onto the ware? Were they hand painted or printed in some way?

Any help in this matter would be greatly appreciated

Kind Regards,

Scott Stuart