William Marshall

William “Bill” Marshall (1923–2007) was the first local apprentice taken on at the Leach Pottery, joining in 1938 at the age of 14 and beginning a lifelong dedication to the craft of ceramics. He remained at the pottery for nearly forty years, becoming Bernard Leach’s right‑hand man and serving as the workshop’s unofficial foreman, responsible not only for overseeing production of the Leach standard ware but also for guiding and instructing the many students and apprentices who passed through the pottery.

Marshall’s technical skill, particularly as a thrower, was widely admired, and he played a key role in translating Leach’s designs into form on the wheel. As his confidence and artistic voice developed, he began producing his own work from the 1950s onwards, influenced by his interpretation of Japanese aesthetics and deeply inspired by the textures, colours, and rugged spirit of the Cornish coastal landscape. Although he never visited Japan himself, this imaginative engagement with Eastern ceramic traditions informed his strong and expressive forms and rich glazes.

In 1977 Marshall left the Leach Pottery to establish his own workshop in Lelant, near St Ives, where he continued to work alongside his son, Andrew. His pieces from both his Leach years and his independent practice are highly sought after by international collectors and are regarded as exemplifying a powerful, individual voice within 20th‑century British studio pottery.