Jack Bond 1901 - 1987

Jack Bond had a distinguished military career, retiring in 1957 as a Major-General. He became part of the Gray family when, in 1929, he married Dora Margaret Gray, the daughter of Hazel Arthur Gray, an elder brother of AE Gray. As a young Lieutenant in the early 1920s he was fairly impecunious but an excellent amateur artist. In discussions between AE Gray and his son-in-law Ronald Bailey, Mr Gray said that he: “was always pleased with Jack’s designs, for which ‘the usual fee’ was paid – probably two guineas (£2.10).” He certainly redesigned Gray’s Pottery backstamps (see Backstamps, History section), but Mr Gray also said that “Jack did a whole series of designs for children’s pieces.” This has led to the suggestion that, for example, the design ‘This is the house that Jack built’ (pattern 7834) was created by Jack Bond, a belief that was reinforced by AE Gray’s grand-daughter, Daphne Gray. The ‘child-like’ design of pattern 1400 is also a possible candidate for the hand of Jack Bond.