The son of pottery owner William Holdcroft, Joseph grew up in relative affluence. After graduating from the Wedgwood Institute in Burslem, he joined his father’s concern, the George Street Pottery in Tunstall, where he is credited with the development of several patents for the production of earthenware.

Joseph Holdcroft

As with George Jones, Joseph Holdcroft was employed by Minton for some eighteen years where he became proficient in the manufacture of majolica. After leaving Minton, Holdcroft established the Sunderland Pottery at Daisy Bank, Longton in 1870. Although much of the output was majolica, the firm also produced Parian, silver luster and other household earthenwares which were marketed in the Americas and Australia. Joseph Holdcroft died in 1904 and the business was then managed by his son Thomas. In 1906, the firm was incorporated as Holdcroft Ltd. and operated through the 1920s.

Daisy Bank marl pit, Longton c. 1927. Holdcroft’s Sunderland Pottery is to the right

Despite a large and high-quality production of majolica, little documentation remains of the designers and modelers employed by Holdcroft. To be sure, he took inspiration from both the rustic style of George Jones as well as the classical designs of Minton and Wedgwood. Although Holdcroft majolica designs and modeling were somewhat more elementary, the glazing was usually well executed.

Many pieces known to be by Holdcroft are decorated with naturalistic emerald green pond lilies. The theme appears on a variety of plates, bowls, sardine boxes and cheese bells. Frequently seen are a series of graduated pitchers and plates bearing a rustic dogwood branch and blossoms. Stork and heron vases and stick stands were produced in the manner of Minton although not as artistically rendered. Platters and plates depicting salmon and other fish were likely inspired by Wedgwood’s marine motifs.

Holdcroft majolica can sometimes be identified by the celadon green coloring on the undersurface although mottled gray-brown and green-brown patterns are also seen. When marked, Holdcroft pieces bear an impressed ‘J HOLDCROFT’ or an overlapping ‘JH’ contained within a circle.