Background
He was born in 1808, the son of Robert Stiff, a workhouse master and farmer in Rougham, Suffolk.
He was born in 1808, the son of Robert Stiff, a workhouse master and farmer in Rougham, Suffolk.
Stiff worked his way up from a mould maker in 1830 at Doulton and Watts" Lambeth Pottery in London to owning his own pottery works in Lambeth in 1843. They were part of a vibrant collection of potters in Lambeth at the time, including Doulton and Watts Pottery in Lambeth High Street (later Doulton & Company) and Stephen Green"s Imperial Pottery. This group of Lambeth potteries were famous for their varied types of stoneware pottery.
Stiff & Sons also produced effervescent, colourful pottery.
In 1826, Stiff left his job as a plasterer"s assistant in Rougham. He went to London, beginning an apprenticeship at the Coade Stone manufactory.
Four years later, he began work at Doulton and Watt"s Lambeth Pottery as a mould maker. In 1842, he commenced working as a potter at his own premises in Ferry Street, Lambeth (previously the premises of T Higgins).
Directories of the time record him making water filters.
The following year, Stiff leased the first portion of his 39 High Street, Lambeth premises. However, he is still listed in trade directories at Ferry Street until 1844. From 1845 on, he is listed at 39 High Street.
An 1895 article in The British Clayworker described Stiff as "now retired".
He died in Swanage in 1897. He died at Swanage on 18 May 1897 and, like his contemporaries Doulton and Green, Stiff was buried at West Norwood Cemetery.