Peter Gardner represented the third generation of Gardners to pot at Dunmore Moss on the estate of the Earl of Dunmore in Stirlingshire, Scotland. He took over on his father's death in 1866 and transformed the country pottery from a supplier of utility and domestic wares to a world famous source of ornamental wares.

Gardner was a keen experimenter and his glazes were what led to the strong and lasting appreciation of Dunmore Wares. Queen Victoria was a patron, and in 1876 over a hundred pieces were bought by Glasgow Museums and Art Gallery.

On Gardner's death in 1902 the pottery was bought by Robert Henderson, who sold it, two years later, to an ex-employee of Dunmore Pottery, Thomas Harrison. Harrison died in 1912, and his wife managed it for a further few years. By 1917 the buildings had been sold, and they were never re-used as a pottery.

Further Reading:		Scottish Ceramics by Henry E Kelly
		British Ceramic Art 1870-1940 by John A. Bartlett