T & C Clark & Company Limited, based at Shakespeare Foundry, was founded in 1795 by Thomas and Charles Clark and grew to be one of the largest iron foundries in Wolverhampton. The firm was the pioneers of Enamelled Cast ironware and the founder Charles Clerk went on to became mayor of Wolverhampton in 1860 after also serving as a Councilor, Alderman, and later Chief Magistrate. The company exhibited many products at the International Exhibition of 1862 at South Kensington, alongside the gardens of the Royal Horticultural Society. The company was also awarded the silver medal for its products at the International Paris Exhibition in 1878. The company's product range included thousands of items, both domestic and industrial. T & C Clark pioneered the use of enamelled cast ironware, after taking out a patent in 1839 guaranteed to be free of lead or arsenic. In the late 1940s and 1950s the company produced acid-resisting enamelled cast iron boiling pans; steam-jacketed pans; stills; square and rectangular tanks; open and closed mixing vessels; flanged pipes; bends and tees; laboratory equipment; small scale plant; evaporating bowls; beakers; sulphonates; and glass-lined mild steel tanks for beer, mineral water, and food. The company is listed as enamelled chemical plant manufacturers in Kelly's 1962 Wolverhampton Directory, but within a few years, the company had ceased trading.The item is significant as it was used as a domestic kitchen or camp fire item used to cook food safely without the concern that the metal may contain lead or arsenic as earlier cooking utensils had. T C Clark innervates the first manufacturing process of cast iron cook ware to have enamel lining in his products to alleviate the possibility of lead or arsenic contamination of food.Oval cast iron boiler or cooking pot, with lid, pot is oval shaped lid is dented and handle buckled.Inscription on base "Clark & Co Patent", "Best Quality", "9 Gallons" and a Trade Mark of a "C" inside two triangles to side of potflagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked coast, flagstaff hill maritime museum, flagstaff hill maritime village, great ocean road, cooking pot, stew pot, food, kitchen utensil, shakespeare foundry, tc clark

T. & C. Clark & Company Limited was based at Shakespeare Foundry in Wolverhampton England and was founded in 1795 by Thomas and Charles Clark. The company grew to be one of the largest iron foundries in Wolverhampton and were pioneering in the manufacture of enamelled cast iron cookware and sanitary wares. The company's product range included thousands of items, both domestic and industrial. T. & C. Clark were pioneers in the use of enamelled cast ironware, after taking out a patent in 1839 guaranteeing their products to be free of lead or arsenic. The company became the largest employer in Wolverhampton employing between 600 to 700 people.The items are significant as they were used as domestic kitchen items to cook food safely without the concern that the metal may contain lead or arsenic as earlier cooking utensils had. This is due to the enamel lining pioneered by TC Clark Pot set; set of three pots. Iron pots, enamelled on the inside with a pouring lip and capacity label on each pot. Pot set a capacity label on each pot. Three pots in set labelled 17 qts and 14 qts on base and flat spot opposite lip - handle for pouring. 12 qts is missing flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked coast, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village, great ocean road, pot set, cooking pot, pouring pot, cook ware