Matthew Turnbull, Cornhill Glassworks

GLASS
MATTHEW TURNBULL
CORNHILL
GLASSWORKS
ANIMAL
COVERED
DISHES*
IDENTIFICATION GUIDE
*CHICKENS NOT INCLUDED
JENNIFER PATTON

ABOUT ME
Hi! My name is Jen and this is a little bit about myself. First, I must say this project was a lot of fun.
Like a book from my gradeschool years lol. I don’t know if children today still do book reports, but when
I was in school, they were required and boy did I dread reading the assigned books then having to
summarize them! I loved reading books that interested me and hopefully this will interest you. I created
it for anyone that needs help with identification. For the novice glass collectors that buy animal covered
dishes because they fall in love with the way they look or the type of animals they are, or simply for
their colors. For the avid collectors who enjoy buying a few of each animal regardless of the maker. For
the veteran collectors who may have hundreds of glass dishes who never cease to amaze me with their
beautiful collections. For the people that have inherited or purchased someone’s entire collection or
part of a collection and need help to identify things. For the people like me that are meticulous about
every detail needing to label things and just absolutely need to know the whats, whens, whos, hows and
whys of the animal dishes they own. For me, what started with one Asian yellow stained glass bunny on
a nest, has flourished into a full blown collection of hundreds of mixed and matched animal covered
“candy” dishes of all glass types and colors. No particular glass maker, just everything I can’t live
without. LOL. Anyone that knows me would tell you that I stop at nothing, studying book after book
searching for answers about my own glass animals until I find them. I have never been satisfied with a
mystery….unless it involves me watching Columbo, my lifelong favorite television program! I am a
mystery solver... a true detective. I get this from my Mother, Cindy -Sultana- Wheatley. I need to get to
the bottom of a piece of unidentified glass. It drives me bananas not to know everything I can about
each piece that I own. Next, I will tell you that the monetary value of my glassware means nothing to
me. I collect it because I love it. However, unique and rare is always a find! Sure, like every collector, I
love a bargain and have had to pass up many pieces that I could not afford. Ooooh the ones that got
away. They haunt me. I can assure you that when I get a new addition to my collection, it has found its
forever home. Someone before me and usually possibly before them owned these animal covered
dishes making a kind of history that I can only imagine in my mind, its importance to each person. There
is a reason behind every single glassware in every single dwelling. Glass symbolizes many things. It is
proudly displayed. It is important to the person who owns it. I enjoy seeing the happiness glassware
brings to people, especially these animal covered dishes. Who doesn’t love animals? I also enjoy seeing
my collection knowing these pieces of history live on and hope that when I am long gone, they will be in
other homes. My glass brings me peace; most peaceful in the evenings when the cabinet lights are on
and the glass does its natural thing; what it was intended to do since the day it was made...look pretty!
To me, it is reminiscent of having a year round Christmas Tree. Glass is AMAZING! I am a country girl
through and through. I love all things nature. I am an avid bird watcher and an all around animal lover. I
live in the beautiful state of Kentucky with my husband and our two dogs, Monkey and Johnnie, who by
the way, is named after my all time favorite singer, Johnny Cash.

Glass Animal Covered Dishes © Jennifer Patton
glass animal covered dishes
by Jennifer Patton
MATTHEW TURNBULL
CORNHILL GLASSWORKS
copyright © 2022 by Jennifer Patton
All rights reserved. No parts of this work may be reproduced without
written permission from the copyright holder.
No parts of this work may be reproduced for financial gain by anyone
other than the copyright holder.

© Glass Animal Covered Dishes by Jennifer Patton
Page 1
matthew turnbull, cornhill glassworks
Glassworks of Matthew Turnbull in Southwick, Sunderland began in 1859.
At 16 years of age, Matthew Turnbull forged glass for Schmied. It is rumored
that his father Thomas Turnbull was a partner of Wear Flint Glassworks in
Sunderland (Sunderland Flint Glassworks). In my research, I read a 2009
thread from www.glassmessages.com. A woman named Sally was doing
extensive research on the life of flint glass manufacturer Thomas Walton
who owned Sunderland Flint Glassworks for one year, 1857. Sally stated
Turnbull ran Haverton Hill Glassworks during the 1840s, a works which
Walton bought in 1849 and sold in 1856.
---This would have been when Thomas Turnbull met Thomas Walton.---
Sally described how Walton followed Turnbull "across the pond" after he
sold Wear Flint Glassworks to Henry Greener in 1858 to help set up Cornhill
Glassworks in 1859. When Thomas Walton left Cornhill Glassworks in 1865,
the company was fully owned by the Turnbull family and renamed. Thomas
Walton's wife passed in 1866 and he left the Southwick area, going to
Manchester. Pressed glass was on the rise. Both Cornhill Glassworks and
Wear Flint Glassworks (Sunderland Flint Glassworks) became involved in
pressed glass after Walton left. Very interestingly, Walton only dealt with
Flint glassmaking. A person in the thread from UK London stated he was
working on the post-excavation analysis of the excavation conducted by
Pre-Construct Archaeology of the glass factory on that site. He mentioned
that all the glass debris he studied did not include any waste from glass
blowing, only from pressed glass. He determined that all Walton flint
related glass must have been cleared out.
Sally told a man who inquired how she came across her information of
Walton being involved with Turnbull's Cornhill Glassworks that she found
research by Alan Leach published in the "Glass Cone" (magazine of the
Glass Association), No. 21, Spring 1989, which was mainly about the
Haverton Hill glassworks. Sally was researching the Waltons because
Thomas Walton's son, Thomas Walton Jr. went to Japan in 1874 to help the
Japanese develop their first Western-style glassworks. Thomas Walton Jr.
background led to her understanding how useful he was in Japan and why
he was chosen.

© Glass Animal Covered Dishes by Jennifer Patton
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matthew turnbull, cornhill glassworks
Sally went on to say "The topic of the Shinagawa glassworks had already
been mentioned on this message board a few months ago (10 December
2008) by David Encill of Chance Expressions, when he discussed the
research already done in Japan by Ms. Osumi."
Matthew Turnbull and Co. Ltd. manufactured pressed tableware in flint and
Amber. First and foremost, Turnbull dealt in exporting glass. During the
20th century it was a regular supplier to Woolworths in Britain. Woolworths
was a home goods store throughout the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Northern Ireland (England, Wales, Scotland), much like IKEA is today
for us.
A 1951 Turnbull ad stated "Export still holds priority, but the delivery
question for Home Trade is becoming a little easier, and we feel confident
we can give you increasing satisfaction in this direction. We look forward to
seeing you, Yours faithfully, p.p. Matthew Turnbull, LTD.
When Turnbull lost their contract with Woolworths in 1953, Turnbull closed.
Woolworths in the UK officially closed in October of 2015.
Turnbull records were poorly kept. Three animal covered dishes were
produced by Turnbull, Cornhill Glassworks:
Owl Registration No. 111661 Date: October 19, 1888
Sitting Chicken Registration No. 117815 Date: January 21, 1889*
Bull's Head Registration No. 119318 Date: February 9, 1889
*Seigmar Geiselberger asked "Did Turnbull copy the 1895 Hen Can which
August Riecke made at their mold factory or did Riecke make Turnbull's
Hen Can?" ---The answer is...we may never know!---
We know the Owl was first produced by Turnbull and later by Atterbury
Glass Company. The Bull's Head was first made by Atterbury and
reproduced by Turnbull. These three animal covered dishes were very
short lived and are very collectible today.

© Glass Animal Covered Dishes by Jennifer Patton
Page 3
MATTHEW TURNBULL, CORNHILL GLASSWORKS
BULL'S HEAD
Turnbull Bull's Head No. 119318 is similar to the July 1888 Atterbury
Bull's Head Mustard Jar. It is not an exact reproduction because there
are differences. Turnbull had a new mold made. Turnbull added a handle
and patterned the bottom of the base. Turnbulls have no tongues
(ladles). Turnbull Bull's Head debuted six months after Atterbury Bull's
Head. Made in Crystal (colorless flint glass). Possibly in translucent Blue.
Turnbull Bull's Head Registration No. 119318 was applied for on February
9, 1889. R' N° 119318 is inside the base. 4 1/2" high. ***VERY RARE***
No known reproductions.
Photo courtesy of Mike Tomlin of Victorian Pressed Glass

© Glass Animal Covered Dishes by Jennifer Patton
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MATTHEW TURNBULL, CORNHILL GLASSWORKS
BULL'S HEAD
Photos courtesy of Mike Tomlin of Victorian Pressed Glass

© Glass Animal Covered Dishes by Jennifer Patton
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MATTHEW TURNBULL, CORNHILL GLASSWORKS
"Toby" owl
Turnbull "Toby" Owl Tobacco Jar No. 111661 was original to Turnbull. Owl
was made in Black milk glass, Crystal (colorless flint glass) and Transparent
Blue. The Owl dish was registered on October 19, 1888. Molded eyes.
Locking lugs. Owl is marked Rd N° 111661. 7" high. **RARE**
Beginning in 1889, Atterbury Glass Company reproduced the Owl in
many colors. Atterbury may have had a connection with the Turnbull
family because they each made the Bull's Head jar and there are
similarities in both makers' Hen lids. Atterbury Tall Owl Jar has applied
glass eyes and locking lugs. Unmarked. 7" high.
No known
reproductions
Photo courtesy of John Vosevich

© Glass Animal Covered Dishes by Jennifer Patton
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MATTHEW TURNBULL, CORNHILL GLASSWORKS
"Toby" owl
Photos courtesy of John Vosevich

Glass Animal Covered Dishes © Jennifer Patton
Page 6
matthew turnbull, Cornhill glassworks
BIBLIOGRAPHY: Matthew Turnbull, Cornhill Glassworks:
Facebook group: NMGCS 1860-1920, Post with comments by member Martin
Fuess, NMGCS member-TURNBULL OWL INFO
Online: https://www.pressglas-korrespondenz.de/aktuelles/pdf/pk-2010-
3w-joyce-turnbull-sunderland.pdf & member-TURNBULL OWL INFO
Online: https://www.pressglas-korrespondenz.de/aktuelles/pdf/pk-2010-
3w-joyce-turnbull-sunderland.pdf & www.worthpoint.com -TURNBULL OWL
INFO
Book: Davidson Glass A History by Chris and Val Stewart, 2005 -HISTORY
Magazine: British Glass Trade Review 1951 ad-QUOTE FROM AD
Magazine source: https://www.glassmessages.com/index.php?
topic=26389.0 Provided by Angela Bowey's Glass Museum & Glass
Encyclopedia
Online:https://www.glassmessages.com/index.php/topic,68987.0/prev_next
,prev.html#new Provided by Angela Bowey's Glass Museum & Glass
Encyclopedia-THOMAS WALTON/THOMAS TURNBULL
Online: www.turnbullclan.com/ tca_genealogy/tca_all2-o/p376.html -
TURNBULL GREENER CONNECTION
Email Correspondence with Mike Tomlin of Victorian Pressed Glass -BULL'S
HEAD PHOTOS
Email Correspondence with Mike Tomlin of Victorian Pressed Glass: About:
Book: A Supplement to The Identification of English Pressed Glass 1842-1908
by Jenny Thomson-REGISTRATION NUMBERS/YEARS
Online: www.facebook.com/UKHeartOfGlass, Lindsey Calvert
Online: www.presglasskorrespondenz.de PK 2008-3-04, Dated 9/7/2008,
Page 173-HISTORY, Page 174-TURNBULL REGISTRATION INFO, Page 175-SG
ASKING ABOUT WHO COPIED THE HEN ON NEST FROM WHO
Online:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woolworths_Group_(United_Kingdom)-
WOOLWORTHS HISTORY
Thank you for your permissions!
Seigmar Geiselberger
Mike Tomlin
ALL photo contributors