Time for another rummage behind the scenes of one of my collections.
Back in 1846 Thomas Goodwin Green, son of a Lincolnshire corn merchant, had a fancy for a lady by the name of Mary Tenniel (sister of Sir John Tenniel the famous illustrator of such books as Alice in Wonderland). He asked her to marry him but got knocked back. So in true romantic spirit, he took his broken heart and sailed for Australia, where he made his fortune as a builder. Fifteen years later he had word that Mary had changed her mind so he returned home in true prodigal fashion, wooed and won his sweetheart and they were married.
Whilst on honeymoon, Green met Henry Wileman who owned the Pottery Works in Church Gresley, Derbyshire. Having sold up his business in Australia, Green was looking for something to do now he was back in the Old Dart so he bought the pottery from Wileman. After all, how hard could it be?
Fortunately he had bought a well run operation and being a strong-minded and determined man he soon made his new business a great success; in the process, setting up a pottery dynasty that lasted until 1964, when it went the way of so many family potteries, and went into receivership. The company assets were purchased by larger outfits who continued trading under the TG Green name.
TG Green expanded into the kitchen and table wares market. And during the first half of the 20th century the pottery produced a number of popular designs. The most famous is Cornishware. I will be writing a post on Cornishware at a later date but my favourite TG Green range is the Streamline kitchen and table ware. This was characterised by a cream coloured body formed into a distinctive rounded shape with a series of green stripes piped onto to it. The stripes are raised on the surface of the pieces making them very tactile. The range is huge and was in production from the mid-1930s to about 1950, But because it was never as popular as the famous Cornishware, Streamline pieces are harder to find, especially the more unusual items.
One of my favourite pieces is the biscuit barrel. I have only ever seen one of its kind but unfortunately the lid on mine smashed. The tall vase-looking piece at the back left is actually an egg beater! As with most of these items, the metal beater thingy has been lost on the rugged journey of life. My most recent acquisition is the rolling pin. These are hard to come by as, being prone to rolling off the table, most never made it to old age.
I only collect the kitchen ware Streamline, leaving the dinner ware stuff alone. Even I have to draw the line somewhere.
Other related posts:
TG Green Cornishware
Toby Jugs – Will the real Toby Philpot please stand up
Confessions of a Collectaholic
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That’s a great story!
I have china from the 1900s that my parents bought for me at an auction and gave me after I married. I just received two new bowls from Christmas, from the original owner, who had the original china, and heard I used it with my little family every Thanksgiving! I didn’t even like it at first, but I did not know 1. it’s age. 2. it’s value. or 3. that transferware was so popular as a collector’s item!
I have changed my mind on all three and love it!
That’s a great story Maggie. What’s the make and pattern of your china?
mercy me, I’ve about forgotten. It’s brown transferware, which I’ve never seen on the net or in a book though it may be out there in some book somewhere. It was, from what I can tell, some of the first made from Colonial Pottery in Stoke, England.
It has a stamp on the back of the kishing with a big W overlaid on an “F”. I think that stood for Winkle, if I remember correctly. I’d love to hear more about it if anyone knows where I can look. The libraries here are limited and I can’t find it on the net.
I just found a post where I had photographed it, if you’d like to see:
http://5purposedriven.wordpress.com/2006/11/22/my-thanksgiving-feast/
Reading what you write about your collections makes me want to start a collection of my own.
They seem to find me without my seeking them Tink!
Want some of mine?
Maggie there’s a site called Replacements Ltd which specialises in old and discontinued china. You might like to brows through their catalog to try and find your dinner set pattern and find out what it is called.
I’m into it! Your a useful gal!
I found a pattern name on one of the peices, and a registration number. Still, coming up short.
Reg No 219465 (may be two sets of numbers 219 465 according to Google)
Pattern, I think, is Devon, although that may be a location instead from what I can tell.
Still, I can’t find it. I finally did find some brown, and it was similar, but the pattern was different. It was dated late 1800s.
Pretty wild.
wow, that is beautiful stoneware!! and knowing the story behind it makes it even better!!
Hi ,I have just started collecting TG Green items and picked up some cheap items from a dinner set,they are just plain blue i cant seem to find out anything about them is there anyone that can help me find out more??
Dean could you send me a photo and I’ll see if your pieces are listed in any of my books.
Notice you have a biscuit barrel without lid. I have one without wicker handle. Was womdering if you are interesting in swapping your biscuit barrel for other items of streamline.
My email is
johnstate1@hotmail.com
I have collected TG Green since I moved 3 miles from the factory (sadly closed since summer 2007) At a church jumble sale I bought a rolling pin because I liked it and three years later I realised that it was T G Green Streamline. Some collector! However the price of 20p must redeem my short sightedness. Guess that was the bargain of the year.
Have just bought my second piece of streamline.
Love the site
Regards Cynthia
Hi there! Sorry, my blog seems to have thought your kind comments were spam, so I just discovered your links. These are gorgeous! I absolutely love that green stripe and the rounded lines.
Bekas last blog post..Happy Belated Halloween!
Thank you Beka. The Streamline is one of my favourite collections. I was devastated when I lost the lid from the biscuit barrel (cookie jar) I kept the pieces for 4 years in the forlorn hope that I would one day be able to repair it. But it was totally shattered.
Enjoyed your article and the style in which it was written. Just wish i could find more streamline to boost my collection.
thanks janet
That’s a great shot. I’m hooked by Streamline myself. Anyone out there got a coffee pot?!
I’d love to find one (at a reasonable price) myself, Ian
Hi there just found this page. i went to an antique fair to buy a cornish wear rolling pin and fell in love with streemline. That was about 6 years ago , now i got over 70 pieces and i use some of them when im cooking. The round top ones like in the pic are easy to find its the ones with the resesed lids that are harder to find. A few years ago i met TG Greens grand son and bought some streemline cups, sourcers and plates off him . The biscuit barrel i have not got yet but would love one .
Oh Wow! Not only does it sound like you have a great Streamline collection Kaagee, but how fantastic to have actually met a descendant of TG himself.
My collection grows very slowly because in Australia, Streamline is very hard to find. And when you do find a piece it is usually very expensive.
I have to be honest i didn’t know he was , it’s only when i was chatting to him about streemline he said ; if you got your TG Green book i will sign it for you . It’s only when he show me a pic in the book of him ,his dad and his grand dad that the penny droped . So to buy streemline off him was a bonness . I have a coffee pot with lid the biggest piece i have got is the colander.
hi everyone only found this site because i was looking for some sort of value on a few pieces of streamline i have got so i could sell it on ebay i have a sugar shaker with a cork stopper a flour shaker with stopper missing and three storage jars 1 cloves 1 nutmegs and 1 caraway-seeds the cloves jar has a missing lid thanks to my daughter mooching in the cupboard
Hi beven i picked up a spear sugar and flour shaker for £18 each at an antique fair two week’s ago both had the proper stoppers and not a cork . The other’s sound like the small spice jar’s , two are common about £20 each if your lucky . The caraway seed’s bit of an odd one mite get £45 . this what i would pick them up for and would depend on condition, type of streemline jar (round or fluted top) and what mark is on the bottom.
hi i am new to this site but i collect streamline and kleen kitchen ware in the green stripe and i have a vast collection i supposeyou could say a man called ian asked if any one had a coffee pot well i have and also i have just recieved four coffee cups and saucers oh dear i hope i dont make anyone a bit sick would like to now if anyone has any thinf a bit rare luckyglynis
hi all this talk about streamline lets see some photographs then. lets see what is out there.
Hi, all, I published a note about a year ago wondering if anyone had a T G Green Streamline coffe pot and have only just recently re-vistied the site to see that 2 x contributors have! … not sure if I’m allowed to say this on this site ( no doubt I will be moderated out if I am not ), but if either ‘luckyglynis’ or ‘kaagee’ want to sell their pots I am very happy to hear about it and I’m sure they can contact the author of this site and get my e-mail address if they require it? Hope you don’t mind me posting this, but if you don’t ask you don’t get. Thanks.
hi could i have ian henderson email address please you can send him mine also thank you luckyglynis
Karen, I know I’m stepping outside protocol here but it’s only because I didn’t get a steer from my contribution of 7th.
Luckyglynis my e-mail is henderson.i.g@googlemail.com
hi has anybody any cups and saucers or the biscuit barrel with the lid in the t g green streamline for sale to add to my collection you can email me any time thank you luckyglynis
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