John Hénk
Other names: Johann Hasselmann Henk
Born 1847 (Circa)
Died 24 November 1921
Active: 1861 - 1911
Country of birth: Germany
Country of death: England
Modeller, teacher
Born in Cologne, Germany. His father, Christian Hénk (born c.1821 in Prussia) was a painter on china working for Minton and Co. John worked for Minton's as a modeller and by his mid-thirties had progressed sufficiently in the trade to have a home with two servants placing him well above the usual income bracket of people working in the potteries.
From the 1880s Hénk taught modelling at Hanley School of Art as well as continuing his work as a modeller for Minton and Co. His son Louis (born c.1878 in Stoke-on-Trent), was apprenticed, presumably to his father or Minton's, c.1891. In 1901, another son, Ernest (born c.1881 in Stoke-on-Trent) was a 'Potters Clay Modeller' like his father. Sometime before 1901 John Hénk was naturalised as a British citizen.
In the early 1900s he became chief modeller at Minton and Co, where he remained until his retirement before 1911. By this date John Hénk and his family had moved to Cheshire. In 1921 Hénk's wife Laura died, followed about six months later by John.
Wealth at death: £3,511 19s. 0d.
His wife Laura, left effects valued at £372 7s. 7d.
Probate date: 24 April 1922
Locations
Address Penkhull New Road Stoke-on-Trent | View on map
1861 (Circa)
'App Potter's Modeller' and his father, Christian, 'Artist Painter on China'
Address George Street Stoke-on-Trent | View on map
1871 (Circa)
The Henk family were living in a district with a number of German families engaged in the pottery trade, including their neighbour in Wood Street, Adam Mueller who was a painter on china
Address 19 West Parade Stoke-on-Trent | View on map
1881 (Circa)
Address 5 Brook Street Stoke-on-Trent | View on map
1891 (Circa) - 1901 (Circa)
Address 14 Holland Road Liscard | View on map
1911 (Circa)
Retired here with his family and one servant
Address 1 Ormiston Road New Brighton Wallasey | View on map
1921
His address at the time of his death
Institutional and Business Connections
Employed at Minton and Company
1860 (Circa) - 1870 (Circa)
£151
See Haggar (1953), and Wilkinson (2007), p. 79. Wilkinson suggests that Henk was responsible for modelling at Minton in the 1870s [summary]. Haggar gives 1863 to 1914 as the dates of the artist's employment at Minton. Atterbury and Batkin state that the artist was apprenticed as a majolica figure modeller from c. 1860-1867: see 'Dictionary of Minton' (1990). Elliott, 'Potters' (2004) gives his salary in 1868 from Minton's Salaries Book
Studied at Stoke School of Art
1863 (Circa) - 1868 (Circa)
See Haggar (1953), p. 43 and Wilkinson (2007), p. 79.
Teacher of modeling at Hanley School of Art
1880 (Circa) - 1900 (Circa)
See Haggar (1953), p. 24.
Personal and Professional Connections
Collaborated with Thomas Longmore
Collaborated on the production of Minton elephants: see Wilkinson 'Ceramic Artists' (2007), p. 95, no dates are given for the collaboration.
Descriptions of Practice
Occupation given in Census Returns of England and Wales, 1861
'App Potter's Modeller' and his father, Christian, 'Artist Painter on China'
Occupation given in Census Returns of England and Wales, 1871
'Potter's Modeller' and his father, Christian, 'Potter China Painter'
Occupation given in Census Returns of England and Wales, 1881
'Potters Modeller'
Occupation given in Census Returns of England and Wales, 1891
'Potters Modeller' and his son Louis, aged 13, 'Potter's Modeller Apprentice'
Occupation given in Census Returns of England and Wales, 1901
'Potters Clay Modeller' and his son Ernest, also a 'Potters Clay Modeller'
Occupation given in Census Returns of England and Wales, 1911
'Retired Potters Modeller'
Sources
A Century of Art Education in the Potteries. With notes on the Artists, 1953 Local Studies
1953 (Circa)
p. 22, 24 and 43.
A Dictionary of Ceramic Artists
2007
p. 79.
Census Returns of England and Wales, 1861
2005
RG09 piece 1938 folio 127 page 16
Census Returns of England and Wales, 1871
2004
RG10 piece 2870 folio 51 page 40
Census Returns of England and Wales, 1881
2004
RG11 piece 2732 folio 87 page 53
Census Returns of England and Wales, 1891
2004
RG12 piece 2175 folio 8 page 9
Census Returns of England and Wales, 1901
2005
RG13 piece 2608 folio 9 page 9
Census Returns of England and Wales, 1911
2011
RG14PN22066 RG78PN1310A RD452 SD3 ED14 SN207
The Dictionary of Minton
1990
p. 273
Citing this record
'John Hénk', Mapping the Practice and Profession of Sculpture in Britain and Ireland 1851-1951, University of Glasgow History of Art and HATII, online database 2011 [http://sculpture.gla.ac.uk/view/person.php?id=msib4_1219249105, accessed 09 Jun 2023]
