Joseph Kishere and the Mortlake Potteries

This fascinating volume provides the definitive history of the small but important Mortlake pottery established by Joseph Kishere in the late eighteenth century. It focuses on the working life of Kishere and his stoneware products. The book is based on the writings and research of Robin Hildyard, Jack Howarth and the late John Eustace Anderson. Anderson’s book A Short Account of the Mortlake Potteries was published in 1894, some fifty years after the closure of both potteries. His material relied heavily on the fading memories of local residents, in particular one or two surviving members of the Kishere family. Combining an artistic, commercial and historical approach, Robin Hildyard’s Stoneware section gives a comprehensive overview of the English salt-glaze potteries and identifies Joseph Kishere’s niche in a very competitive market. The style and range of his products, from the origin of the potworks to the final closure, are described in detail and fully illustrated. The third contribution, from Jack Howarth provides an insight into the history of the Kishere pottery by tracing Joseph Kishere’s ancestry back to the earliest contacts between his father, Benjamin, and John Sanders when both families resided in Lambeth. Joseph Kishere and the Mortlake Potteries updates and expands the story, bringing Joseph Kishere’s role to a far wider audience.