Kate Bruce was a paintress employed by Spode for a long time starting when the company was known as Copeland & Garrett (1833-47) and then later W. T. Copeland (1847-1970). Like many employees of the company little information remains in the archive about individuals such as Kate Bruce, whether the famous 'premier' artists and designers who were men, apprentice boy painters training to work in the style of the premier artists or women working as paintresses.

There are pieces painted by Kate Bruce in the Museum's Reserve Collection. The pieces are known to be painted by her because, unusually for a woman, she was allowed to sign her work. Most of her work is of designs with small cornflowers.

A report of a Royal Visit to the factory on January 6th 1897 by the 'Princess of Wales and other members of the Trentham party' (Trentham was the seat of the Duke of Sutherland and is not far from Stoke) says that:

'............The royal visitors were met at the showroom entrance by Mr. R. P. Copeland, the head of the firm, and Mr. W. F. M Copeland. They were first shown some artists engaged in decorating articles of pottery, one being the venerable and respected Mrs. Bruce, who after 53 years of service with the firm, still skilfully handles the camel-hair pencil and was engaged in applying a cornflower to some plates,...........'

(Pencil is the pottery industry's term for a paintbrush.)

It would seem from the above report that Kate began work at the factory in 1844. It is thought she may have been a favourite of the Copeland family and this is why she was allowed to sign her work and demonstrate her skills before royalty and other important visitors to the factory.

Although unusual for a women to sign work at Spode it was not unusual to work for the company for many years, well past what would now be thought of as retirement age.

Sometimes together with her name on the pieces will be her age and an example is known (from a private collection) with the inscription:

painted by Mrs Bruce aged 74 1900.

This would make her date of birth 1826 and, if the royal visit report is correct, starting to work for the company at the age of 18.