Greener


Henry Greener began as a travelling salesman for John Sowerby at the Ellison Glass Works. In 1859 he returned to Sunderland. He went into partnership with James Angus, and took over the Wear Flint Glass Works. The partnership lasted for 12 years, and when Angus died, he built a new glassworks with 5 furnaces.

Between 1858-69 the firm traded as Angus and Greener and registered its first design on 21 Dec 1858. The firm expanded repidly in the 1870's, trading as Henry Greener The Wear Flint Glass Works. The range of designs included fancy glass and commemorative ware, and in 1886 Greener registered his own trade mark.

By 1877 he was in debt, and the works was mortgaged for £9000. The debt was later cleared, and he issued new patterns including vitro-porcelain. In 1879, he introduced ornamental glass "Roman tiles or glass mosaics" in opaque glass and many colours.

In 1882 Henry Greener died, and the business was carried on by his son Edwin. In 1887, the firm exhibited at the Newcastle exhibition, and was awarded a silver medal. In 1885, the firm was reconstructed under the name of Greener and Co., but ran into debt again.

James Augustus Jobling from Newcastle bought the business which continued and became a limited company in 1921. In 1922, it was the first English firm to make Pyrex, under licence from Corning glass works in New York. Jobling adopted a new trade mark, that of the Jobling family and dropped the word 'flint' from the name of the works in 1896.

Greener's issued articles to commemmorate events in England, and abroad. The first was a plate with the legend "Gladstone for the Million" and this set a fashion.

After Greener's death, the firm expasnded under Jobling, and issued new products, both ornamental and useful, in flint and opaque glass. The patterns included 'colonial' and 'starlight'.

Trade Marks:
1875-85 demi-lion rampant facing left, holding a 5-pointd star in its right paw.
c.1885-1900 demi-lion holding a battleaxe in both paws.

Greener plate
Greener plate
Multi-patterned plate, Rd 98551 21st April 1888 Patterned plate - a detail
Greener dish
Greener dish
Small patterned dish. Diamond mark 31st July 1869 Patterned dish - a detail
Greener vase
Greener celery
2-handled vase, with fans and hobnails pattern. Rd 81160 15th Sept 1887 Celery with gadroons pattern. Lion trademark and registration diamond 14th June 1881
Greener celery
 
Frosted celery, with circular fan patterns.Trademarked, 1875-85  

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