This illustrated manuscript by HTW was prepared in 1943, and describes the history of ceramics, and the evolution of the Holyrood pottery.

During the period 1904-1921, Henry Taylor Wyse first experimented with making art pottery while teaching at George Watson’s Ladies College.

As a result of these experiments, in 1917 he started the Holyrood Pottery in Bristo Street, Edinburgh. It moved to Boroughloch, Edinburgh, in 1918, and ran there for many years under the name of Wyse & Isles. Examples of Holyrood pottery were exhibited extensively throughout the country, and many of the wares were sold in large department stores both in Edinburgh and London. The Holyrood pottery was closed in 1927.

These three catalogues illustrate the wide range of wares sold by Holyrood pottery. Note that biscuit ware blanks were sold for amateur decoration, and were then returned to the pottery for firing:

Many examples of hand decorated pieces, and Holyrood pottery itself, survive both within the family, and in private collections.

This Holyrood Pottery gallery shows the wide range of pottery and other objects created at the Holyrood Pottery in Edinburgh.

These pages from the Edinburgh Post Office directory, show entries for HT Wyse while he lived in Braid Road, for the pottery at Boroughloch, and the only Isles to be listed in the directory at the time.

The site of the Holyrood Pottery in Boroughloch, now in residential use:

Click to read, or right click to download the PDF files