Castle Hedingham
 

The name Edward Bingham is closely associated with Castle Hedingham Pottery. Not just one Edward Bingham, but three. For the sake of clarity we will call them Grandfather, Father and Son -- all Edward Binghams.

Grandfather, three years after moving from Blackheath, London, in 1834 to Gestingthorpe in Essex, set up a pottery to supply domestic ware to the local community. Son, aged eight, would help him by making sprigs in the form of flowers, animals, birds and snakes for application to the pots.

By the time Son was in his mid-thirties he was potting full-time in his own premises at Castle Hedingham and drew his inspiration from antiquity. His influences were mainly classical and he had an interest in medieval English and German stoneware. In the 1870s he exhibited in Chelmsford, Sudbury and Hertford.

After Grandfather's death in 1872, Father moved into Grandfather's premises, and Son was helping him with the running of the pottery, eventually taking over in 1899 when Father was seventy. In 1901 the pottery was sold to Hexter Humpherson & Company Ltd and began trading as The Essex Art Pottery Company. Son emigrated, with his family, to the United States and Father followed in 1906, at which time the pottery closed.