Frederick married Adolphine Hurten, who was the daughter of C.F. Hurten from Cologne. Hurten was a superb naturalistic flower painter. In 1869 Hurten was persuaded to join W.T. Copeland after his work had been exhibited at the 1867 Paris Universal Exhibition and had been seen by Alderman Copeland, the head of the firm. Frederick and Adolphine had six children. Four of his children, Frederick Hurten, Harry, Charlotte and Adolphine all worked in the pottery industry.

In 1896 Frederick joined Wileman & Co as Arts Director, both his sons moved with him. Within a short period of time he introduced several different earthenware ranges. Some included designs which he had learnt during his apprenticeship. The most popular range was Intarsio, others are Urbato, Pastello Spano-Lustra, Primitif and Faience. Another range that he designed was a style of ornaments which were known as ‘grotesques’. These were small pieces that were deliberately designed to look ugly and were mainly based on fantastic or mythical animals. He also started to improve the china range by introducing high quality enamelling to patterns on tea-ware. As Arts Director he would also have been involved in the introduction of the Dainty range that had just been designed by Rowland Morris.  

Around the turn of the century was a busy period for Frederick Snr. As well as carrying out his work as Arts Director, he took on a new process for the company. Frederick was approached by Harry Barnard, who had introduced tube-lining to the Potteries in 1895 when he set up an art pottery department for Macintyre’s of Burslem. Harry Barnard had previously worked for Doulton’s at Lambeth. Barnard only stayed for a short time at Macintyre’s before he moved to Wedgwood taking with him the tube-lining process. When Wedgwood’s decided to stop producing this range, Harry Barnard asked Frederick if he would take on the girls that he had trained to tube-line. So Wileman & Co took on the girls and started to produce a tube-lining range of ware. Four of Frederick’s children, Frederick Hurten, Harry, Charlotte (Lottie) and Adolphine (Dollie) were then taught how to tube-line, each of them used it later on in their careers, with Charlotte becoming best known for producing tube-lined ware.  

Frederick Snr. had a fascination with the Dutch people and after joining Wileman & Co, spent time in Holland sketching his subjects. On his return he turned his sketches into designs that were produced on ware, Wileman’s produced a nursery ware series depicting various Dutch children scenes with a rhyme. A Faience and two Intarsio vases and a teapot with a Dutch children scene are known to have been produced. Frederick Snr. must have allowed his son Frederick Hurten to use some of his Dutch designs as he produced ware with Dutch scenes, when he was the Arts Director at Wardle & Co. Later on Charlotte also used one of her father’s Dutch designs to produce a tube-lined tile showing a Dutch girl with a hoop.

In 1900 a large exhibition was held at Earls Court in London which ran from May until November. Wileman’s had taken a stand, mainly to sell the popular Intarsio range. Frederick’s wife Adolphine agreed to look after the stand during the week along with their daughter Charlotte and they both stayed close by at a relatives house in Kilburn. Frederick visited the exhibition at weekends to ensure that there was enough stock to meet the substantial sales that were taking place during the week.

Frederick Alfred Rhead was only at Wileman’s until 1905 as Arts Director. But in those nine years he changed both the china and earthenware by improving the quality of the ware and introducing new ranges. This in turn started to build the reputation that the company became known for by producing top quality ware and designs that were wanted by the buying public. The reputation of the company was such that they were producing art ware for Liberty’s of Regent Street, London.

After leaving Wileman, Frederick continued to work within the pottery industry. In1929 he started working for Cauldon Potteries as Arts Director. At this time Cauldon Potteries owned Royal Crown Derby, Royal Worcester and Ridgways (Bedford Works). It was at Ridgways where Frederick had his office. Whilst working for Cauldon’s he was taken seriously ill and died in 1933.    

Just before the turn of the century Frederick Snr. introduced tube-lining at Wileman. Frederick Hurten and Harry learnt this technique and became very proficient at tube-lining. They then taught their sisters Charlotte (who later was renowned for her tube-lining designs) and Dollie. Frederick Hurten also introduced the tube-lining technique at Wardle’s. 

In 1898, Frederick became the Arts Director for Wardle & Co who were based at Hanley. This position was considered to have been on a part-time basis as he was still working for his father at Wileman’s. Frederick Snr. must have had a watching brief over his son at Wardle’s, as ware with similar designs to Wileman’s were being produced by Wardle’s.

In the summer of 1902, Frederick Hurten resigned as Arts Director at Wardle’s and took up the post of Arts Director at Avon Pottery in Tiltonville Ohio. The reason for his sudden departure could be that Frederick had married a paintress from the shop floor. The marriage had been treated with dismay by his family, although the odd circumstances surrounding the marriage suggest that somehow Frederick had either been tricked or forced into it. He continued to work in the U.S.A. moving around and doing various jobs within the industry. In November 1942, Frederick Hurten died of cancer whilst living in New York City.

Just before the turn of the century Frederick Snr. introduced tube-lining at Wileman. Harry and his brother Frederick learnt this technique and became very proficient at it. Whilst working at Wileman & Co, Harry decorated a globe shaped vase depicting a panel of children, which carries his signature H Rhead. As this vase is in a collection it is known that these signed pieces exist.

When his brother Frederick Hurten left Wardle & Co to take up a post in the U.S.A. Harry took over as Arts Director, again it seems that his father Frederick Snr. had a watching brief over the ware that was produced as, during this period, Wardle’s had started to manufacture many different tube-lined designs, some even carried Harry’s signature. So thanks to their father, Frederick Alfred, the company was now producing good quality tube-lined art ware. As a result the company was supplying the Regent Street store of Liberty’s, although none of the ware carried the company’s backstamp.

After the company closed down it seems that Harry retired and moved to Florida where he died in 1950.

In 1905 Walter Slater succeeded Frederick Rhead as Art Director. It is not known why Frederick Rhead left but this was a time of economic downturn and the company needed to return to commercially risk free wares. Walter Slater came from a distinguished family in the industry. He had previously worked at the Minton and Doulton factories and thus his background was as impressive as that of Frederick Rhead.

Initially Walter Slater did not have as much freedom to experiment as his predecessor but had a freer rein after 1911. Besides continuing the popular production wares, such as toilet sets, children's ware, jelly moulds, souvenir and heraldic ware, he also designed a new second series of Intarsio which was produced from 1911 to 1913. The second series patterns reflected Persian influences. He also oversaw the development of fine tableware with the "Oleander" shape being introduced in 1913. In 1922, a new range of Lustre-decorated ware of high quality was introduced most of which he signed. The range included floating flower bowls, spill vases, ginger jars and clocks.

Walter Slater retired in 1937.

In 1919, Walter Slater was joined by his son Eric whom he steered to become his successor.

The 1920's and 1930's marked a high point for the company referred to as "The Glamorous Years".