Compton Pottery

Compton Potter's Arts Guild
(1899 - 1954)

Mary Sefton Fraser Tytler Watts, wife of the Victorian portrait painter George Frederick Watts, established the e pottery c1899 as an extension to her clay modelling class. itself a result of the discovery of clay at their home "Limnerslease" (painters place) c1890.

She had studied at the Slade and South Kensington School of Art.

When the Compton Parish Council created a new burial ground, she offered to design and build a new mortuary chapel. This was constructed between 1896 - 98 with virtually every resident involved.

The Chapel is a "must visit" for all fans of arts and crafts. From the outside it has the look of a Roman Italianate Chapel with the interior being a magical confection of Angels; Arthurian Legend meets Burne-Jones.

The graves often include art and crafts type sayings eg

"The Morning Stars Sang Together"

and inside the chapel is the message

"Their hope is full of immorality but the soul of the righteous are in the hands of God"

The grave yard is worth a look for the little angels and cherubs solemnly guarding the graves

Click on thumbnail to enlarge

The pottery's output was extensive including figures, jugs, plaques and pendants.

Models include; Owl jugs, Toby Jugs, Frog and up to c1915; St George, St Francis, St Christopher, St Martin, St Michael, St Celia, the four seasons, Joan of Arc, Sir Galahad.
During the post 1st World War period many pairs of bookends were made including Archers, Sunburst, Galleon, Fruit and Flowers.

The majority of the pottery was made from a soft white body and decorated with tempera, an egg based paint. This is susceptible to ware and washes off !!! be warned - see the frog left

Their work was not always marked

click on the thumbnail to enlarge