George Morley
According to the Saturday, November 28, 1896 edition of The Evening News Review, “George Morley was born in Staffordshire in 1829, and was the son of Samuel and Hanna Morley, natives of the same country. He was sent to night schools in his early youth, and when only 14 years old began his apprenticeship as a potter. He became very skillful, and thinking the United States was the place for a young man, Mr. Morley landed in Baltimore in 1849. After remaining there a short time he went to Illinois, where his brother had located. They established a pottery in Madison County, and conducted the business until 1852, when Mr. Morley came to East Liverpool and took up a position with G. S. Harker & Co. He also worked for Woodward, Blakely & Co. for a time.”
Appearing in a manuscript entitled “George Morley” found in the Museum of Ceramics file, “in 1855, Richard Henderson, a disabled veteran of the Mexican War, leased his two-kiln pottery to George and Sam Morley, James Goodwin, another English potter, and William Flentke, a German. This small pottery was at the corner of St. Clair and Broadway. The four men bought the pottery in 1857 and called it the Salamander Pottery. The ware was marked Morley, Godwin, Flentke.”
W.A. Calhoun noted that, “this firm began the manufacture of Rockingham and Yellow Ware and continued without material interruption until 1874 when, with the trend of the times in the potteries they went in to the making of white ware.”
Morley’s obituary in The Evening News Review went on to state that “in 1861 the Civil War began, and George joined the 3rd Ohio Volunteer Regiment at Camp Dennison, Ohio. He was among the first in this county to enlist and was a soldier in the Third Ohio infantry serving for three months. In November, he married Emma Beardmore, 12 years his junior. They would have 5 children together: George, Lincoln, Samuel, Edwin, and Elmer. He reenlisted in the Forty-third infantry and was made second lieutenant. He was a trusted officer and a brave man, and when one who could be relied upon to throw the first pontoon bridge across the river at Petersburg was needed, George Morley was selected and faithfully performed the task, his men working like beavers until the bridge was complete. Over this marched the first Union troops to open the battle of Petersburg.”
The “George Morley” manuscript expounds upon many other important details and accomplishments in his life. “In 1864 George was a very busy man. He was serving on the East Liverpool Board of Education with Enoch Bradshaw, Josiah Thompson, John Smith, William Brunt, and James Leigh. That year he took time off from the pottery to join the 143rd Ohio Volunteer Infantry. He went in as a Private under Colonel William H. Vodrey, served 100 days with the Sunshine Soldiers, and mustered out as a First Lieutenant. George went back to work at the Salamander Pottery. Somewhere in this period, Sam Morely left the partnership.
In 1870, when East Liverpool needed the Salamander Pottery property for city improvements, George Morely left the company, thinking he would begin his own pottery. The old company moved across the street and built a new plant on the east side of Broadway, becoming Godwin and Flentke.
The East Liverpool Banking Company was formed in 1873. It became the First National Bank in June of 1874. Its original Board of Directors included N.B. Hickman, J.M. Kelly, F.D. Kitchel, David Boyce, William H. Vodrey, N.A. Frederick, and George Morley. In 1878, there was a huge rally and demonstration in Pittsburgh, in support of high tariffs. George Morley and Josiah Thompson were among the speakers.
In the meantime, George Morley had formed a partnership with Harmer Michaels and I.B. Clark. They built a two-kiln pottery in Wellsville, and began production in July 1879, as Morley and Company employing 60 potters. This plant produced ironstone china and ‘American Majolica’. Only five years later, in April 1884, Morley sold his shares to Michaels and Clark. Their new company became known as the Pioneer Pottery Works, which eventually became Wellsville China Company.
That same year (1884), George Morley and his sons purchased the old West, Hardwick and Company (whose owners had included Wm. Brunt, Jr., John Thompson, William Joblin, James Taylor, John Hardwick, and W. S. George) in East End. The new firm became known as George Morley and sons, and they called the pottery the Lincoln Works, after one of Morley’s sons. They continued to produce ironstone and majolica. This was a time of union beginnings, and financial ‘panics’ every few years. It was said that Lincoln Morley was not enamored with the pottery business, and didn’t work very hard, as his father became older. In October 1891, George Morley and Sons declared bankruptcy. The court ordered that all the assets be sold to pay the company’s debts. George and his wife even lost their home.
However, that same year, George (at 62) was elected Mayor of East Liverpool. This was not a good thing, as there continued to be financial ‘panics’ and major labor disputes. On March 31, 1893, Mayor Morley was hit by several “missiles” at a melee where someone had been severely beaten at KTK. The next morning, Mayor Morley issued a proclamation prohibiting ‘hooting, whistling, shouting, and sneering’ at those working. He also appointed twenty-four strikers as special officers to aid in maintaining order. After the major strike of 1894, a relative calm returned to East Liverpool. At the end of his term, he was made a justice of the peace, which office he held at the time of his death.
During this time the Lincoln Pottery Works went up for auction regularly from 1891-1894, with no bidders. In 1894, John W. Hall, Robert Hall, and Monroe Patterson bought the old Morley Lincoln Works for $14,000. They called it the East Liverpool Pottery Company and made ironstone china. They specialized in a semi-vitreous ware they called “Waco” china. East Liverpool Pottery became East Liverpool Potteries, which in June 1903, became the Hall China Company.”
On Saturday, November 28, 1896 the front page headline of “The Evening News Review” read, “WITHOUT A STRUGGLE George Morley Passed Peacefully Away. HE WAS ILL FOR ALMOST A YEAR But Insisted on Attending to Business, and Soon After Noon Today Was Carried Downstairs, Dying In the Presence of His Family Soon After Leaving His Room.”
The obituary said, “Another man whose name was long identified with East Liverpool is dead. Another manufacturing potter has passed to the last long home. George Morley died at 12:40 this afternoon, after an illness lasting through the greater part of the year. Last winter his constitution, never too strong, began to show signs of weakening. Bright’s disease and a complication of ailments made him almost an invalid, but he refused to relinquish the remainder of what had been a busy life and continued to look after his affairs. A few months ago, he became very ill, but rallied sufficiently to attend to business, and was in his office only a few days ago. Last night he was very ill and expressed the belief to a number of personal friends who called that he would never get well. Today he expressed the desire to be taken from his room, and urged it so strongly that his son, Edward, helped him downstairs. All the members of the family were present except George, who is in Elizabeth, N. J, and they realized the exertion was too much for Mr. Morley, but they were greatly shocked when they realized he was dying. He expired without an effort, not being able to respond to the hurried questions of his wife and children.
Mr. Morley was at the time of his death adjutant of General Lyon post, G.A.R., (Grand Army of the Republic) and a number of years ago was commander of the Wellsville post. He was a member of Pilgrim commandery, Knights Templars, having been made a Mason in Wellsville over 40 years ago, and has long been identified with the Odd Fellows. He was a consistent Christian and has been a member of the Methodist Protestant church for many years. Had he lived until Christmas he would have been 67 years of age. Arrangements for the funeral have been made, and it will likely be held on Tuesday afternoon, services being conducted by Reverend Hastings at the Methodist Protestant church. It will be in charge of the Masons.
George Morley was a good citizen and an upright man. As a manufacturing potter he had the respect of his workmen and associates, and as the mayor of the city he was esteemed as one who did his duty. He was one of the men who labored to make East Liverpool what it is, and his memory will long be cherished by those who knew him best.”
“George Morley” (n.d.); Museum of Ceramics, People V.F. B.1 93B; 2 pages
ELHistSoc-Early Clay Industries of The Upper Ohio Valley; http://www.eastliverpoolhistoricalsociety.org/calhoun.htm
The Evening News Review 28 Nov 1896, page 1; https://www.newspapers.com/image/59205963/?terms=
