Bio/History
Port Dundas Pottery was established in 1828 by William Johnstone in partnership with John Forsyth and John McColl. Located just to the North of Glasgow, where the Forth and Clyde Canal joined the Monkland Canal.
By 1835 Johnstone sold the pottery factory to Robert Cochran and James Couper. John McColl was retained as manager until 1837.
Cochran & Couper sold in 1839 and purchased the St Rollex Glass Works.
George Duncan took over briefly but died in 1841, with the pottery possibly being run by his widow Helen and a potter named Alexander Paul.
James Miller was manager and he bought the pottery in 1856, in partnership with John Moody.
With Miller’s many year’s of experience and salesmanship in the pottery industry, Plus the craftsmanship that came out of his factory, He saw success from the export market which allowed him to purchase the North British pottery in 1867 until 1874 when it was sold. In 1875, Miller, in partnership with John Young, leased part of Caledonian Pottery, naming it Crown Pottery, however it burned down in 1879.
In the early 1880s, Young extended the pottery and named it Milton Pottery. Miller’s son, James W.Miller, became partner in Milton pottery in 1905.
James Miller died in 1905 and the company continued as a limited liability company, being sold to the Borax Consolidation Ltd in 1929, but it was unsuccessful and Possil pottery purchased some equipment before it was finally closed in 1932. (More information can be found on the Scottish pottery society website)
