Records show that in 1851 there were almost 400 people identified as working within the pottery industry. This  excludes labourers, of which there would have been many. One of Wearsides best known items were the purple lustre jugs which was decorated with a picture / transfer  of the Wear Bridge in 1796 and a verse on the opposite side.

Where local clay was used , the majority came from the South of England from places such as Dorset, Devon and Cornwall.  The white clay from these regions was mixed with ground flint to make quality earthenware. Local clay on its own could not get even close to match the quality of the more famous Staffordshire potteries so Sunderland were unable to manufacture successfully anything other than earthenware.