Donald Prestage (1863–1930), roofing tile manufacturer from Broseley who, in 1923, purchased the Benthall Pottery Company from William Beriah Allen’s widow.
Donald Llewellyn Prestage (1863–1930)
Active at the Benthall Pottery Company: 1923–1929
Born at Barrackpore, India, on 9 July 1863, where his father, Franklin Prestage (1830–97), was an engineer, Donald Prestage was educated at Stonyhurst College, near Clitheroe, Lancashire.
It was Donald Prestage’s grandfather, John Thomas Prestage (1802–89), to whom a Shropshire connection can be traced. The family was originally from the London area, but at some time in the decade 1851–61, John Thomas Prestage moved to the Broseley area.
In 1870, John Thomas Prestage went into partnership with his son Franklin, setting up Milburgh Tileries, Broseley, producing roof tiles. It was a short-lived partnership which ended in 1873, leaving Franklin as sole proprietor. By 1888, Franklin’s son, Donald, was running the family tile business.
In a parallel career, Donald Prestage was in the British Army. In the 1880s he served in India with the Calcutta and Northern Bengal Mounted Rifles, with the rank of Lieutenant. On returning to Britain he transferred to a territorial battalion, the 1st Volunteer Battalion, The King’s (Shropshire Light Infantry), and was promoted to Captain on 2 August 1890.
The First World War (1914–18) saw Prestage’s volunteer battalion become part of the 5th Battalion, The King’s (Shropshire Light Infantry), and on 15 December 1914 his rank of Captain was confirmed.
In 1919, Captain Donald Prestage was awarded the Military Cross for gallantry in action. The citation in the Edinburgh Gazette reads:
Capt. Donald Llewellyn Prestage, Shrop. Yeo., attd. 13th Bn. Welsh R.
For gallantry in action during the attack north of Le Cateau on October 20th, 1918.
He went forward through a heavy barrage, during which both runners became casualties, reached the companies and came back with the information that the battalion objectives had been gained. He had previously shown a high example of courage at Gouzeacourt on September 18th, going through heavy machine-gun fire and returning with valuable information.
After the war, Donald Prestage returned to the family’s Milburgh Tileries, which he expanded through acquisition of the Broseley Tileries to become the Prestage and Broseley Tileries Ltd.
In 1923, following the death of William Beriah Allen, Donald Prestage bought the Benthall Pottery Company from his widow, Mary. He owned the business for six years, selling it on 10 May 1929 for £3,000 to Jack Raleigh.
Donald Prestage married Edith Mary Harrison in 1911. He died at Broseley on 23 October 1930, aged 67.
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Selected sources
Promoted to rank of Captain: London Gazette, 1 August 1890
Rank of Captain confirmed: London Gazette, 14 December 1914
Award of Military Cross: Edinburgh Gazette, 1 August 1919
Broseley Brick and Tile (account of the Prestage family at the Milburgh Tileries): Newsletter of the Broseley Local History Society, February 2013