Original tiles question

[mammabella1]

Hi

Fully renovating our Victorian house. Have been lucky to uncover lots of nice tiles (porch and hearths). Unfortunately one hearth is sunken in and the tiles are not in brilliant condition, so we have pulled them up in the hopes that we can restore/relay them once the floor has been re-levelled.

My question is - does anyone know how I might find out a bit more information about the tiles themselves? The design is quite unusual and I can't find much about it online...

On the back I can see they were made by Campbell Brick and Tile Co, Stoke on Trent.

Thanks all!

google brings up an advert for them on the potteries site dated 1880
The Campbell Brick and Tile Company
Stoke-on-Trent

The Pottery Gazette, May 1st 1880
you may not be able to do a full hearth but maybe cleaned up could go in as inserts if you look at companies that sell restoration stuff you may be able to get some tiles to go with these that are the same age and compatible, they are unusual

Date:1960 - 1963 (c.)

Description:The Campbell Tile Co. works and the adjoining Minton works in Stoke. A view north along London Road with Sturgess Street on the left (by the Overall Shop). The chimney at the end of road is at W T Copeland's Spode factory. Supermarkets now occupy the sites of the Minton and Campbell works.

The Campbell Tile Co. dates from 1875. Campbell started to produce encaustic and mosaic floor tiles in 1875 when he took over an existing tile works on London Road. This business was originally styled the Minton Brick & Tile Co., though a lawsuit forced Campbell to drop Minton from the name. Henceforth the firm traded as the Campbell Brick & Tile Co. until switching to simply the Campbell Tile Co. in 1882.

from V & A museum site
Encaustic tiles were produced in large quantities from the mid 19th century. The principal market for the tiles was for churches, both new and restored.

Manufacturers
The partnership between Colin Minton Campbell and Michael Daintry Hollins ended in 1868. It produced a split in the famous Minton company, with Campbell in charge of china production at Minton's China Works, and Hollins producing tiles of various types at Minton, Hollins & Co. Campbell also started to produce tiles, but it was not until he took over an existing tileworks in 1875 that production of encaustic and mosaic floor tiles began. This business was originally styled the Minton Brick & Tile Co., though a lawsuit brought by Hollins forced Campbell to drop 'Minton' from the name. Henceforth the firm traded as the Campbell Brick & Tile Co. until switching to simply the Campbell Tile Co. in 1882.

Subjects Depicted
Encaustic tiles were a good medium for depicting religious symbols and played an important part in ecclesiastical decorative schemes. The symbols on this tile represent incidents from the Passion Cycle (the suffering and crucifixion of Christ). This tile shows the cross and ladder, and the inscription 'INRI', which stands for the Latin Iesus Nazarenus Rex Iudaeorum ('Jesus of Nazareth King of the Jews'). According to the Gospels, this phrase was written by Pontius Pilate and attached to the cross.

Ooh thanks very much. Didn't think of going to a restoration place to complete the set - great idea.

The first tile depicts the biblical text
"They cast lots for his clothing "