Clementson Bros. was a manufacturer of earthenwares at Phoenix and Bell Works, Shelton, Hanley, c.1865-1916. Joseph Clementson was born in 1794. In 1856 he bought the former Ridgway Bell Works in Hanley, Staffordshire, England and operated it in conjunction with his nearby Phoenix Works. He catered to the American markets and his answer to the Tea Leaf craze was his original “Coffeeberry” design – perhaps his tribute to those who preferred coffee as a beverage rather than the highly touted tea from China. The designs varied: some had as few as eleven little berries and very sharply serrated leaves while others had as many as eighteen hanging berries and rounded leaf edges. In 1867 he turned the business over to his four sons who carried on as Clementson Brothers from 1872 to 1916.

Nineteenth century pioneers favored heavy practical dishware that would stand long moves by river boats, heavy wagons or trains. Dishes had to withstand countless washings using homemade lye soap. Most American housewives followed fashions set by their English sisters – from pewter to yellowware, to cream colored Queensware, to multicolored Staffordshire, and finally plain white ironstone. Tea Leaf caught the ladies’ fancy because it was simple white, yet had elegant shapes, copper lustre added color, it was durable, and it was cheap. It is said Mary Todd Lincoln used Tea Leaf in the White House, but it was not the fancy china of lace-covered tables; instead it was used in the modest homes of farmers, miners, millers and country people across America. Undecorated white ironstone was first patented by Charles James Mason in England in 1813 and English potter Anthony Shaw created the original Tea Leaf motif in the 1850s. Due to its sturdiness and affordability Tea Leaf decorated ironstone was made into everything from tea cups to chamber pots.

From 1875 to 1900 Tea Leaf was the most popular pattern made. By 1900 at least 25 English potters had produced their own variations of Tea Leaf and perhaps 12 American contempories tried to get a share of the market. English Tea Leaf was sent to the U.S. by the shipload. It was packed in barrels and distributed throughout the country by the cheapest method possible. Tea Leaf was used as ballast in ships landing along the Atlantic Coast. After discharging the dishware they loaded with cotton, wood, tobacco. Thus the Tea Leaf ballast made the trip more profitable than using & dumping rocks as ballast. After 25-30 years Tea Leaf went out of style and was not shown in catalogs after 1910