Occupation: Dipper

Bilston Pottery

Staffordshire pottery, nowadays, is usually associated with the Stoke on Trent area. But ceramics were produced in Bilston until about 1914.

There was plentiful local clay, and this made the area ideal for producing ceramics. In the late 1800s Myatt & Co., a Bilston company, produced high quality ceramic wares. The firm employed skilled craftsmen who signed their pieces next to the company name, marking the pot as their creation.

The Myatts produced ceramics in Bradley and Bilston for about eighty years. The pottery produced at Bradley included earthenware dishes and vases designed for everyday use and functional items such as garden pots and chimney pots.

In the Mount Pleasant area of Bilston, Trade directories show that by 1889, John Myatt was making a new style of "fine art" pottery. According to GT Lawley writing in 1893, "On its removal to Bilston a superior class of articles was manufactured and now some very beautiful art works can be obtained."

The Ordnance Survey map marked "surveyed 1882-85, published 1890" shows the Myatt Pottery on what was then still called Willenhall Road. The name was later changed to Mount Pleasant (which here seems to be the name of the area). It also shows the pottery entrance seeming to be on Prouds Lane but this map shows a possible access next to the Theatre Royal which may have justified giving its address as Mount Pleasant.

Work as a 'dipper'

A 'dipper' worked in the pottery industry, glazing goods. The job involved dipping pottery items into the glazing solution. Although it was known that lead was dangerous manufacturers used lead in glaze to give whiteness and a high quality sheen. It was also used for many of the pottery colours.

Plumbism - lead poisoning

The most visible signs of lead poisoning were seen in the workforce involved in dipping pottery into glaze. Glaze contained lead carbonate. Raw lead is very soluble. From 1894 fritted lead (heated until it was vitrified and thus less soluble) were introduced but their use was governed by whether the company could afford them and manufacturers were reluctant to change to what they considered was an inferior product.

Dippers, because of the dangerous nature of the job were the highest paid workers in the factory. A dipper had a life expectancy of about 40 years but in many cases a particular susceptibility to lead poisoning could lead to death within 12 months of starting work. Women and children were more susceptible than men. However, it was not until 1898 that any restriction on age was introduced into the industry. The workers were willing to work with lead because it was highly paid and perhaps thought they would be one of the lucky ones. Dippers would take Epsom salts to reduce the risk and drank milk to line the stomach.

Lead poisoning could come about through inhalation of dust and fumes, or introduction through mouth. Lead tended to be absorbed into the bones from where it affected the tendons of the lower arm. This led to the potter's "dropped wrist" and in some cases "dropped ankle. Lead could also affect the central nervous system, in which case paralysis or epilepsy ensued. In some cases the symptoms did not become evident for many years, sometimes only leading to a general feeling of being unwell. What was not known at the time was that lead also had an effect on the unborn child resulting in miscarriages, still born children, and children who suffered fits and may not live for long.

Although workers involved in handling glaze were most directly affected, plumbism also occurred in other departments. Paintresses were at risk, particularly majolica paintresses. Majolica glazes contained 40-60 % lead.

Information was obtained from Bilston and Bradely Potteries, Histroy of Wolverhampton and its People: Pottery and The Potteries.org

 

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