,transcribed from the #ahgg ,salopian and ,west-,midland ,office edition by ,david ,price4 ,,the ,,clay ,,industries ,,including ,,the ,,fictile ,,ceramic ,,arts ,,on ,,the ,,banks ,,of ,,the ,,severn3 ,,with ,,notices ,,of ,,the ,early ,use of ,,shropshire ,,clays1 the ,history of ,,pottery1 ,,porcelain1 c41 in the ,district4 ,,by ,,john ,,randall1 ,f4,g4,s41 ,,author ,,of #8,the ,severn ,valley1' #8,old ,sports and ,sportsmen1' #8,life of ,captain ,webb1' #8,john ,wilkinson1' c4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,madeley1 ,,salop3 ,printed and ,published at the ,salopian and ,west-,midland ,office4 #ahgg4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,dedication4 ,,to ,alexander ,h4 ,brown1 ,esq41 ,m4,p4 ,,sir1 ,the following treatise on the 8,clay ,industries0 of the ,borough you represent may scarcely appear at first sight of that importance to warrant the usual form of a dedication1 and ,i confess ,i cannot but wish1 for present purposes1 that its merits were more commensurate with the object4 ,as a large number of your constituents however are engaged in these various branches of trade--in one of which you too have more than a general interest1 and as ,i have been at some trouble to collect facts bearing upon their general history1 the work itself may not be without some value4 ,the motive which dictates the dedication will not1 ,i think1 be misconstrued1 inasmuch as the prominent part ,i took more than nine years ago in introducing you to the constituency1 as one likely to become a representative of the 8,commercial ,element0 of the ,borough1 and the highly satisfactory way in which those predictions have been verified and fulfilled1 as well as the very general regard and esteem all feel who have observed your public and private character1 justify me in feeling a special pride in the result1 and hereby making this public acknowledgement of services so faithfully and honourably rendered4 ,i have the honour to remain1 ,dear ,sir1 yours faithfully1 ,,john ,,randall4 ,,madeley1 ,,jan4 #a,,st1 #ahgg4 ,,introduction4 ,,the ,borough of ,wenlock comprises places not only rich in historic interest but important also as centres of manufacturing industry2 and none more so than those grouped within a mile or two of the ,iron-bridge1 itself a work of world-wide fame4 8,broseley ,pipes0 and 8,broseley ,bricks10--the latter including all similar productions emanating from ,coalbrookdale1 the ,woodlands1 ,lady-,wood1 ,coleford1 c4--possess acknowledged merits which create for them a constant demand1 whilst in higher branches of the art1 where similar natural and other clays are used1 ,messrs4 ,maw1 ,craven1 ,dunnill1 and ,co41 and ,bathurst1 find a still more extensive market for their goods4 ,from time immemorial the merits of these clays seem to have been known and recognised2 if not from ,early ,british1 at any rate from the period when the armies of imperial ,rome penetrated the ,valley of the ,severn1 through intermediate ages1 these beds of clay which give employment to thousands seem to have been used for some purpose or other1 either for articles of ornament or of use4 ,at ,caersws1 near ,llandinam1 on the left bank of the ,severn1 we have seen ,roman bricks apparently with the initials of the workmen's names upon them2 whilst of pottery1 cart loads have been found there and at ,wroxeter1 including a number of jars1 bottles1 urns1 lamps1 vases1 c41 with hunting and other subjects4 ,some of the mortars1 colanders1 dishes1 and similar kitchen utensils1 are of coarse white clay1 similar to that now used at ,broseley4 ,it is therefore evident from modern excavations that fifteen hundred years ago the value of these clays was known to the brick-makers and potters introduced by that enterprising people4 ,specimens of ,norman and of later periods are rare1 but certain evidences concur to make it clear that not only fifteen hundred years ago was the worth of these clays established1 but that from that period to the present they have been used in one way or another4 ,the subject is therefore one of historical as well as of industrial interest1 although those at present engaged in the various branches of manufacture may be too absorbed in turning the material to account to pause to note the stages the trades in which they are engaged have gone through4 ,it was the value of these clays which led to the establishment of works for the manufacture of porcelain at ,caughley1 ,jackfield1 ,coalport1 and ,madeley1 historical notices of which works will be found in the following pages1 which are for the most part a reprint of articles that have appeared in the 8,salopian and ,west-,midland ,magazine40 ,,native ,,clays3 ,,or ,,those ,,used ,,for ,,bricks ,,tiles1 ,,tesselated ,,tiles1 ,,pottery1 c4 ,,clay1 as commonly understood1 means earth of sufficient ductility to allow of its being kneaded by the hand into useful shapes or forms1 and ranks as a raw material1 or one not worked up or prepared for use4 ,some clays are soft1 others are indurated1 or hard and rocky3 but all have1 nevertheless1 been in one sense prepared by poundings1 washings1 and mixings1 carried on by ,nature on a much larger scale than that on which they are now fitted for use4 ,they differ in quality1 in degree of firmness1 and in colour1 and show certain relationships by which it is clear that they are derived from sand1 just as sand is derived from a hardy race of pebbles1 which in turn bear a close relationship to rocks1 from which undoubtedly they are also derived4 ,surface clays1 used for making inferior bricks and tiles1 whose earthy odour gives evidence of alumina1 are often derived from red sandstone rocks1 which have been ground down by machinery of waves or streams2 whilst the deeper coal-measure clunches1 used for firebricks and pottery1 were originally the sediment thrown by rivers at their embouchures into inland lakes or seas4 ,common red clays1 deriving their colour from iron1 have many impurities1 and contain a large percentage of alumina4 ,fire-clays are nearly free from iron1 and contain a large amount of silica1 whilst china-clay1 or kaolin1 contains felspar1 sometimes with the impurities of soda and potash4 ,let us first take brick and tile ,clays4 ,of the three substances expressed by the three words of four letters--clay1 coal1 and gold1 we question whether the first does not rank highest in importance4 ,the latter may be the most coveted1 but the former1 we imagine1 contributes most to the conveniences and comforts of mankind4 ,it is in one form or another universally attainable4 ,there is a great difference in its qualities2 and when it is remembered that a porous brick made from bad clay will hold nearly a quart of water1 the advantage of good clays producing good bricks which will protect health and property from the injurious effects of a fickle climate1 becomes apparent4 ,in addition to ordinary clays used for the manufacture of building materials1 we have throughout the whole coalfields of ,shropshire and ,staffordshire superior fire-clays1 which occur in a tough indurated state1 and are known by the familiar name of clunches4 ,they possess but a small portion of iron1 which gives a red colour to ordinary clays1 at the same time that they are distinguished by an almost entire absence of lime and alkalies2 yet contain1 on the other hand1 that proportion of silica and alumina which although they cannot be melted by the strongest heat1 form ingredients which during the process of burning combine to form an artificial stone capable of sustaining great heat4 ,the following is an analysis of one of these fire-clays3-- ,silica #fa4ia ,alumina #ba4gc ,protoxide of ,iron #d4gc ,lime #j4ji ,magnesia #j4ei ,potash #c4af ,soda #j4be ,chloride of sodium #j4jh ,organic matter #j4gj ,water #f4gc #ii4ig ,these shales or clunches1 now indurated1 were originally the soft soils from which the roots of plants of the coal-measure period drew their nourishment2 and they still retain the impression of such roots in great abundance1 as any one may satisfy himself who takes a piece in his hand to examine it4 ,the vegetable matter derived from roots1 and from the plants themselves1 give them a dark colour2 but this burns away in the firing1 and the bricks come out of the kiln nearly a pure white4 ,it is almost invariably found that where the vegetation of a seam of coal grew on the spot1 and was not transported1 as was the case in some instances1 that one of these underclays is to be found still retaining very beautiful casts of the roots of plants1 and not unfrequently the seeds as well as the plants themselves that grew above them4 ,as fire-clays1 they are little if at all inferior to the famous ,stourbridge clays1 and they supply an invaluable material for crucibles1 for bricks for the interior of our blast and puddling furnaces1 for the kilns of our potteries1 and for various other purposes where intense heat is required4 ,with regard to clays in general1 and the art of working in them1 it may be remarked that archologists have told us little4 ,they have divided the past history of the race into the stone1 bronze1 and iron periods1 but have told us nothing of the age of clay1 or of an art which we venture to say was one of the oldest invented by man4 ,clay and clay-workers are found everywhere2 and the material is one of the most abundant provided by ,nature4 ,the first man would find it soft1 yielding1 and ready to his hands1 with the impressions of birds and beasts1 suggestive of the use to which it might be put1 and the act of moulding it into form would be as natural as that of plucking fruit from a tree1 or that of taking up a stone to strike a harder blow than the hand could give4 ,hardening it in the sun or baking it in a wood fire would be equally simple2 whilst the act of fashioning a shapeless mass into an enduring form would yield so much pleasure that it would be repeated4 ,that the art is pre-historic1 and began before the race commenced a record of its doings1 is evident from specimens which accompany the remains of men of whose tribe and nation we know nothing4 ,living beings stronger than man had been masters of the globe before he came1 and ignobly perished1 leaving but the impressions of their bones to tell of their existence2 but man brought with him a new element by which to subjugate and subdue the materials he saw around him to his use1 and left behind him more enduring monuments4 ,other enduring materials pressed into the service of architects of ancient and modern times were once as incoherent a mass of atoms1 and as unshapable as these clays1 and were either earths1 clays1 or sands1 which ,nature by the processes of kneading1 pressing1 and baking1 in her great laboratory1 converted into stone4 ,we find them to some extent ready shaped to hand in the quarry1 and we cut them into cubes or blocks1 and pile them up in buildings1 according to the humour or taste of the time4 ,bricks are artificial stones1 and in making them we follow the example ,nature set us only that we cut the plastic material first of all to the size we desire it1 then convert it into stone by heat2 and this artificial stone1 we venture to say1 for durability and beauty1 is equal even to ,nature's own production1 and quite as suggestive to the mind4 ,nature's finished material may be deemed more suitable for churches2 but artificial stone1 fashioned into shape by man1 is quite as appropriate for a dwelling in which the highest social sanctities gather4 ,indeed the art of using artificial stone appears to have been roused from the torpor into which it had fallen since ,roman and ,flemish authorities set such good examples4 ,people had been so long accustomed to see brickwork used only for inferior houses1 and stone for buildings of greater pretensions that1 till recently1 ,english bricks have scarcely had justice done them4 ,the antiquity of brickmaking is so well-known that it is scarcely necessary to allude to it4 ,it will suffice to remind the reader of the tower of ,babel1 built about #djj years after the period assigned to the flood4 ,that bricks were made in ,egypt at an early period of her history is well known2 and that this same people had faith in their durability is clear from the fact that they impressed them with hieroglyphics1 or historical records1 transmitting to us the names of their kings4 ,mr4 ,smith of the ,british ,museum1 has brought home clay cylinders which the ,assyrians used for writing upon4 ,again1 the way in which ,jewish writers speak of pots and potters1 comparing humanity to lumps of clay fashioned into vessels of honour and dishonour1 and the silly and wicked portion of humanity to potsherds1 good for nothing but to be cast upon the highway1 shows that they drew much of their philosophy from the art4 ,with them1 as with other nations of antiquity1 the art of working in clay ranked high4 ,potters of the tribe of ,judah 8dwelt with the king40 ,and one very noticeable feature is the fact that the same simple means are still employed to effect the same object2 for illustrations in the catacombs of ,thebes show that forty centuries ago clay was kneaded with the feet1 turned upon a wheel1 and baked in a circular oven1 as at present4 ,the praise of those who out of rude clay fashioned things of use and beauty1 and impressed upon plastic materials the living thoughts that stirred men's minds was loudly sung1 whilst the more successful cultivators of the art were honoured with medals and statues1 and their names transmitted by poets and historians to posterity4 ,the ,greeks and ,romans gave a dignity to the art by raising it to a level with that of sculpture4 ,a ,corinthian potter1 ,pliny tells us1 was in his day regarded as the first who contrived making likenesses in clay by pressing the material up to the outlines his daughter had drawn of her lover's shadow on the wall and placing it with other pottery to be hardened in the fire4 ,other authors ascribe to the art a higher antiquity and speak of it as the parent of sculpture4 ,the estimation in which it was held is shown by the fact that exhibitions of the best works in clay were frequently held in ,athens2 and amongst the ruins of that city statues of clay have been found1 some in groups1 representing ,grecian ,mythology2 and some of large size retaining portions of the paint with which they were coloured on the eyes and eyebrows4 ,in the ,townley ,gallery of the ,british ,museum1 ,no4 #ch is a statue of a ,muse1 three feet eleven inches high2 and also a terra-cotta statue of a ,muse resting her left arm upon a pile of writing tablets1 which are placed upon a square column1 but the head is gone4 ,the former represents ,orania1 the latter ,calliop1 whose office it was to note down the worthy actions of the living1 as it was that of ,clio's to celebrate those of departed heroes4 ,celts1 ,etruscans1 and ,chinese made early and great advances in the art of using clay3 the latter had even an imperial porcelain work at ,king-te-,ching1 a hundred and eighty-four years ,before ,christ1 and thirty years ,b4,c4 they introduced the same art into ,japan4 ,with regard to bricks and tiles we know that among ,roman and medival builders bricks made of clay were held in high estimation4 ,the former enterprising people having penetrated into our valleys and excavated our hill sides in search of lead and iron were not likely to neglect the clays with which the ore for the latter was associated2 and evidences of the extent to which they worked them on the banks of rivers1 where such seams were exposed1 particularly on the banks of those flowing through the great centres of their occupation1 confirms this view4 ,their armies were accompanied by men learned in the art2 and in the relics dug up at ,malmesbury1 ,salisbury1 ,romsey1 ,malvern1 and ,uriconium1 modern workers in clay may learn much of the early history of their craft4 ,the still upstanding walls at ,wroxeter1 with string courses of tiles1 and the numerous specimens of bricks1 tesser1 and pottery in different coloured clays1 brought to light by excavations within its shadow1 are interesting from the fact that some are supposed to have been manufactured from clays still in use in the neighbourhood4 ,at ,caersws1 a little village on the banks of the ,severn1 between ,llandinam and ,newtown1 well made bricks1 both of composite and simple clay1 may be seen stamped with ,roman letters1 probably the initials of workmen's names2 and1 as a test of the durability of both1 it may be remarked that after having done duty in buildings in which the ,roman masons placed them1 they have been rebuilt by ,british workmen into the chimneys of the village4 ,these1 of course were burnt2 but1 favoured by the extreme dryness and heat of their own climate1 the ,romans1 like the ,egyptians1 used clay mixed with chopped straw1 to assist the tenacity of their bricks1 which1 without being at all artificially heated1 have lasted thousands of years4 ,the material of which ,roman bricks in this country were formed was usually a strong clay1 such as brickmakers call tile-clay2 well tempered1 well pressed1 and well burnt1 producing a heavy tough brick1 indefinitely durable1 and of a good deep-red colour4 ,roofing tiles have been made in a similar way to bricks1 one would imagine1 looking at the specimens found at ,wroxeter and other places from the time of ,roman occupation down to the present4 ,they are found in double layers1 forming slightly projecting string-courses in the buildings1 but larger and thicker than ours2 some of those dug up at ,wroxeter being #ag inches by #ab1 and #d inches thick1 whilst some are #ba inches square4 ,one of these larger ones has the impression of the foot of an ox1 evidently received whilst in the process of drying4 ,very many interesting specimens of bricks1 tiles1 and pottery are found here1 and the art of working up the clays of the district has no doubt been practised from that time to the present4 ,formerly clays were allowed to lie during the winter to weather as it is called2 and a statute now obsolete required1 under a penalty1 that bricks should not be made unless the clay for making them had been turned over at intervals1 three times at least before the #ast of ,march4 ,but brickmakers now1 not having patience to wait for the action of the weather1 have invented machinery to do the work1 and the clay is taken direct from the pit to be crushed by iron rollers1 and conveyed by coarse canvas screens to the pug-mill4 ,this is an upright cylinder1 with a revolving vertical shaft1 fitted up with horizontal knives following each other at an angle so as to cut1 amalgamate1 temper the material1 and fit it for use4 ,the process of forming the brick itself requires more tact than the reader would imagine1 as the yielding clay has to be thrown into the mould so that every part shall be filled up with a body of equal consistency4 ,to cause the clay to leave the mould1 the latter is each time dipped into water1 in which case the process is called slop-moulding1 or is sprinkled over with sand or coke-dust2 and when so made the brick is placed lengthways with others on smooth flats1 half an inch or an inch apart and allowed to dry4 ,the best kind of bricks are subjected to considerable pressure in the mould by means of a machine1 and a hollow is left inside for the mortar1 to enable them to fit close in the joint4 ,ornamental bricks of elaborate design for architectural purposes require more delicate manipulation1 and the clays for these undergo more careful preparation4 ,machines also are used which take the clay from the crushing-rollers1 temper and thoroughly amalgamate it1 and convert it into the finished article4 ,the old methods of preparing clay for bricks and tiles1 still practised by some firms1 is probably the best where a good tough article is required3 that is treading and hand-tempering by the workman1 who kneads it with his naked feet1 and 8slaps0 or 8wedges0 it by breaking off pieces and beating one against another4 ,machinery1 however1 is extensive used1 and horizontal rollers are set so as to secure different degrees of fineness1 in conduction with the pug-mill4 ,lime is a great enemy to good bricks1 as small portions escape both rollers and pug-mill1 and being converted into quicklime by burning1 it slacks and bursts bricks subject to rains and frosts4 ,compare the sound1 and hard durable bricks made here with those made near ,london1 into which ,cockneys knock their nails without troubling themselves to look for a joint1 and say whether1 with less freights1 they might not be made to supersede the rubbish passing under the name of ,london bricks1 which are soft1 damp1 and perishable1 and some of which1 like others of inferior quality1 will hold from a pint to a quart of water4 ,stone1 as shewn by the new ,houses of ,parliament1 will not withstand the action of the corroding acid to be found in a ,london atmosphere2 but good hard ,shropshire bricks will1 and for public buildings1 to say nothing of ordinary domestic structures1 they are invaluable4 ,the ,staffordshire blue bricks which of late years have come into such general use1 particularly in buildings connected with railways1 are made from a clay containing a large proportion of peroxide of iron1 a clay which produces a red1 a buff1 or a blue brick according to the process of firing and the degree of heat it undergoes in the kiln2 but it will in no case stand a terra-cotta heat1 in consequence of the iron acting as a flux4 ,but the great centres of the art of brick making are on the banks of the ,severn4 ,clay and clay workers are to be found at ,lilleshall1 ,lightmoor1 ,horsehay1 and the ,woodlands1 where1 as at ,broseley1 clays are found on the surface4 ,here1 on the valley side the surface is honeycombed by burrowings after clay and coal4 ,one of the most important beds of clay for making ordinary bricks and tiles is one #ag feet in thickness1 worked in many places by shallow shafts1 and levels driven into the hill sides1 which when abandoned cause the surface to collapse1 and the ground to crack1 as if by an earthquake4 ,a very pretty church1 built a century since on the brow of the hill overlooking some of the brickfields1 is now a complete wreck1 in consequence of these burrowings after clay4 ,the chancel is falling away from the body of the building1 the walls are torn from the roof to the foundation1 and the windows have fallen from their places1 leaving the oak pews and handsome marble monuments a prey to the elements4 ,clays and coals are being pared away from around it as a mouse would pare a cheese4 ,of course the bishop cautions and threatens1 but as long as his lordship declines to go into the mines these sappers and miners are safe2 and to them must succumb not only the church1 but the graveyard-- 8,where the rude forefathers of the hamlet sleep40 ,in conversation with the ,president of the ,academy of ,science at ,st4 ,petersburgh1 who some years ago visited this district1 and with other gentlemen distinguished in science and art1 we have heard the highest admiration expressed of these clays of the ,severn ,valley4 ,indeed1 the very handsome public structures--now that prejudice is giving way1 and that improved and more artistic treatment of the material predominates--which we see in towns erected upon true architectural principles1 and by professors of classical and constructive styles of decoration1 are sufficient indications of the capability of the material in all its varieties for producing works of a very high order of merit1 with a light and aerial effect not found in the old red brick1 nor even in many of the stone erections1 of former times4 ,besides bricks and tiles1 these clays have been turned to account from very early periods in other ways1 as for pottery1 for instance1 of different kinds4 ,we have no reliable authority for fixing the date at which the art of potting was first practised in ,shropshire1 but it appears clear that the articles were of the simplest kind1 being almost uniformly domestic3 those in daily use1 such as milk-pans1 dishes1 tea-pots1 jugs1 and mugs4 ,the latter were substitutes for the drinking horns1 which later improvements in the plastic and ceramic arts have driven out of use4 ,we have an ancient specimen of one made at the ,pitchyard1 and a drawing of another made at ,haybrook1 well potted1 and elegant in shape4 ,the latter is the best manipulated1 and probably it was from this circumstance that the latter work was called 8,the ,mug-,house40 ,in evidence adduced sometime since in an ,election ,scrutiny at ,bewdley1 a public-house referred to was called the 8,mughouse10 which house is situated on the ,severn1 at a point where the bargemen1 who formerly drew the vessels up the river instead of horses1 were in the habit of stopping to get mugs of ale4 8,tots0 were made out of the same kind of clay1 but smaller1 and were used when the men drank in company2 hence a person who had drank too much was supposed to have been with a convivial party1 and was said to have been 8totty10 a word often found in old works4 ,tots had no handles1 and some of the old drinking cups1 more particularly those of glass of ,anglo ,saxon make1 were rounded at the bottom that they should not stand upright1 and that a man may empty them at a draught1--the custom continuing till later times gave rise to our modern name of tumbler4 ,the small tots had no handles2 the mug had a 8stouk10 as it is called1 consisting of a single piece of clay1 flattened and bent over into a loop4 ,the ware was similar to the famous 8,rockingham ware0 made on the estate of ,earl ,fitzwilliam1 near ,wentworth4 ,the discovery of a salt glaze took place in #afij1 and the manufacture of that kind of ware must have commenced here soon after1 as traces of works of the kind are abundant4 ,this method consisted in throwing salt into the kiln when the ware had attained a great heat1 holes being left in the clay boxes that contained it in order that the fumes may enter and vitrify the surface4 ,evidences of the manufacture of these old mugs and tots1 together with milk-pans and washing-pans1 having been made at an early period1 are numerous2 and the old seggars in which they were burnt often form walls of the oldest cottages in ,benthall and ,broseley ,wood4 ,a considerable number of old jars1 mugs1 and other articles1 have from time to time been found in places and under circumstances sufficient to indicate great antiquity2 as in mounds overgrown with trees1 and in old pits which for time immemorial have not been worked4 ,one large earthen jar1 with 8,george ,weld10 in light clay1 was found in an old drain at ,willey1 and is now in the possession of ,lord ,forester4 ,mr4 ,john ,thursfield1 who lived at ,benthall hall1 was at one time proprietor of these works4 ,three quarters of a century ago these works were carried on by ,messrs4 ,bell ,lloyd2 afterwards by ,mr4 ,john ,lloyd1 one of the best and most truly pious men we ever knew1 who some time before his death transferred them to a nephew1 ,mr4 ,e4 ,bathurst4 ,his son succeeded him1 and after a time sold them to the present proprietor1 ,mr4 ,allen1 who to the ordinary red and yellow ware1 which finds a ready sale in ,north and ,south ,wales1 has added articles of use and ornament in other ways1 including forcing pots1 garden vases1 and various terra cotta articles4 ,of the ,pitchyard works we know little1 only that they stood where the late ,mr4 ,e4 ,southorn carried on his ,pipe ,works1 and where we remember them in ruins more than fifty years ago2 but the numerous seggars1 now found in cottage garden walls1 shew that they must have been continued for some considerable time4 ,but1 besides the manufacture of bricks1 tiles1 and pottery1 these clays have been raised to a trade within the past few years in this district which is every day increasing1 and which is capable of much further expansion3 we refer now to the important department of encaustic or inlaid tiles and mosaics4 ,the art of producing tiles of this description is only recently revived in this country1 and is one which in point of antiquity is not to be compared with its sister branches4 ,the first attempt1 so far as we are aware1 to revive the art in ,shropshire1 was at ,jackfield2 but the first designs were crude1 quaint1 and spiritless1 and altogether wanting in those nicer distinctions and qualities which1 not being perceived by the mind of the producer1 could not be wrought by the hand4 ,in this as in many other branches of fictile art insight into the principles as well as eyesight is required1 and the mistake--as in many other instances--was committed of attempting something which1 with the expenditure of thought and time1 might catch the uneducated eye--the object being to produce quantity rather than quality4 ,but the call made upon the art by the enlightened demands of the age soon gave a wonderful impetus to the improvement1 and men of educated artistic taste--like the ,mintons and the ,maws--soon called to their aid the assistance of the greatest genius and the highest designing talent at command2 at the same time that they directed their efforts to definite points in which utility might be made the instrument of beauty1 and by which originality and intelligible design might be made to rise out of the most common-place wants4 ,but although the modern manufacture of geometric and encaustic tiles is recent1 it already far surpasses the ancients in variety and arrangement1 in geometric patterns1 and in beauty of design in encaustics as well as in mechanical finish2 although it may be doubted whether the same breadth of general effect is studied as in many ancient examples4 ,mintons1 of ,stoke1 ,maw and ,co41 of ,benthall1 ,hargraves and ,craven1 of ,jackfield1 and ,mr4 ,bathurst1 of ,broseley1 have each produced beautiful encaustic tiles for pavements--both for ecclesiastical and domestic use2 and there is yet a large field for development of the use of similar tiles to colour and enrich the details of our street architecture1 as well as in that of more elaborate and important structures4 ,the ,coalbrookdale ,co41 have recently manufactured some admirable terra-cotta entablatures1 with historical subjects for costly buildings in the metropolis4 ,the erection of the ,literary and ,scientific ,institution also1 of different coloured clays shews their adaptation to works of great architectural beauty4 ,,maw ,,and ,,co',s ,,tesselated1 ,,mosaic1 ,,and ,,majolica ,,works4 ,it was the excellency of the ,broseley and ,benthall clays1 above referred to1 which attracted the ,messrs4 ,maw to the spot and led them to remove from ,worcester1 to where they had been in the habit1 first of all1 of having them conveyed by barges on the river1 to the present site of their works1 fashioned out of the old ,benthall ,iron ,works1 carried on a century ago by ,mr4 ,harries1 then owner of the ,benthall estate4 ,notwithstanding the additions made by them1 the trade has so wonderfully developed itself that after building upon or in some way occupying every inch of ground1 they are cramped for room1 and have purchased a piece of ground at the ,tuckies on which they are about to erect more commodious premises4 ,in addition to those classical and other adjuncts of architectural comfort and embellishment1 embracing encaustic tiles--the reproduction of an art limited in medival times to church decoration1 but now having a much more extended application1 and the manufacture of tesser1 used in the construction of geometrical mosaic pavements1 similar in character to those found in the medival buildings of ,italy1 also moresque mosaics1 like those occurring in ,roman remains in this country and on the continent1 they now manufacture a superior majolica1 and faience of great purity1 in both of which departments they have recently received first class medals at the ,philadelphia exhibition4 ,the accompanying engraving will convey an idea of the adaptation of faience to articles of domestic utility4 ,picture3 ,the adaptation of faience to a fireplace ,,jackfield ,,pottery ,,and ,,porcelain4 ,older even than the ,haybrook ,mug ,house are the ,pot ,works of ,jackfield1 which1 according to the parish register of ,stoke-upon-,trent1 quoted by ,mr4 ,jewitt and ,mr4 ,chaffers1 supplied a race of potters to that great centre of early pot-making in the year #aefj4 ,excavations made too1 some years ago1 brought to light on a spot near which the present works of ,craven1 ,dunnill ,co41 now stand1 an oven1 or kiln1 with unbaked ware1 which appeared to have been buried by a land-slip2 and in an old pit1 which it was said had not been opened for two centuries1 a brown mug was discovered1 which had upon it the date #afcd4 ,if ,jackfield supplied early potters for ,stoke1 ,stoke sent pot masters to ,jackfield4 ,one of these was ,mr4 ,richard ,thursfield1 an ancestor of ,greville ,t4 ,thursfield ,m4,d41 who took these works and carried them on in #agac4 ,he was succeeded by his son ,john1 of whom we have spoken as afterwards living at ,benthall and carrying on works there4 ,the late ,richard ,thursfield1 ,esq41 had in his possession some good examples of ,jackfield ware4 ,among them was a handsome jug1 gilt1 having on it1 we believe1 the name of one of the family4 ,in #aggb1 or soon after1 ,mr4 ,simpson carried on the works2 and he appears to have further improved the manufacture1 for in addition to the 8black decanters10 as his mugs were called1 he made various articles of superior quality1 which prior to the breaking out of the war with ,america found a ready sale there4 ,the old mill turned by the waters of the ,severn1 where he ground his materials1 has just been taken down4 ,mr4 ,blakeway afterwards carried on the works1 and was joined by ,mr4 ,john ,rose1 upon leaving ,caughley1 and1 after carrying them on a short time by himself1 he removed them1 as he did the ,caughley ,works1 to ,coalport1 on the opposite bank of the river4 ,the site of the old pottery was on the ground which is now occupied by the ,jackfield ,encaustic ,tile ,works1 the clays of which are specially adapted for geometrical and encaustic tiles2 and such tiles have been made here for a number of years2 but since the old works1 came into the possession of the present firm of ,messrs4 ,craven1 ,dunnill and ,co41 great changes have taken place4 ,the firm took a lease of about four acres of ground1 and adjoining the old works built a large and commodious manufactory1 which has been in operation for nearly two years4 ,they have since taken down all the buildings of the old works1 and have erected on their site and joining up to the new works1 large warehouses1 show room1 offices1 and entrance lodge4 ,the plan of the works is very complete1 so as in every way to economise in the process of manufacture1 and they are now among the most complete works of the kind4 ,as shewn in the accompanying engraving1 the buildings consist of four blocks1 one detached and the others connected1 each block accommodating a separate branch of the manufacture4 ,picture3 ,craven ,dunnill ,co4's new works ,in the detached block the raw materials are reduced to a state ready for the workman4 ,the second block contains the damping places1 where the clays are kept in a certain degree of moisture2 pressers' shops for the various colours of geometrical tiles1 and the encaustic tile makers' shops1 with their stoves4 ,the next block provides for the drying and firing of the goods and decorating shops4 ,on the first floor are workshops employed for painting1 printing and enamelling1 or other decorative purposes4 ,the fourth block provides for the sorting and stocking of goods and for packing them for despatch2 also the offices and showroom4 ,near to the detached block first described a small gas-works has been erected1 which supplies the whole of the buildings4 ,,caughley4 ,like the works previously mentioned1 those of ,caughley were upon the outcrop of the coals and clays of the ,shropshire coal-field4 ,they were established about the middle of the #agth century1 on the estate of ,mr4 ,brown1 who lived at ,caughley ,hall1 and was an ancestor of ,t4 ,wylde ,brown1 ,esq41 of the ,woodlands1 near ,bridgnorth4 ,an opaque stone china appears to have been made there in the first instance4 ,the works appear to have been carried on by ,mr4 ,brown1 in the first place1 and then by ,mr4 ,gallimore1 a relative of ,mr4 ,brown's2 and afterwards by ,m4 ,turner1 who succeeded in producing an article of very superior merit1 and one which will always hold a distinguished place in the history of the ceramic art4 ,mr4 ,turner was the son of the ,rev4 ,richard ,turner1 ,d4,d41 rector of ,cumberton1 vicar of ,emley ,castle and ,norton1 and ,chaplain to the ,countess of ,wigtown4 ,thomas his son1 was born #agdi1 and married in #aghc1 ,miss ,dorothy ,gallimore1 a niece of ,mr4 ,brown1 of ,caughley ,hall4 ,mr4 ,turner was a gentleman of great taste1 a good draughtsman1 and an excellent engraver1 having learned the latter art at ,worcester1 probably under ,robert ,hancock1 some very fine examples of whose work are in the possession of ,mr4 ,arthur ,maw1 of ,severn ,house1 who also has many very fine productions of ,caughley at the best period of its existence4 ,in #aghj ,mr4 ,turner visited ,france1 and brought back with him several skilled workmen1 and an architect1 whom he employed in the erection of a very handsome chateau1 in the ,french style of architecture4 ,the works were several years in progress1 and were completed in #agge1 as shewn by a newspaper paragraph of ,november #ast in that year1 which1 is as follows3-- 8,the porcelain manufactory erected near ,bridgnorth1 in this county1 is now quite completed1 and the proprietors have received and supplied orders to a very large amount4 ,lately we saw some of their productions which in colour and fineness are truly elegant and beautiful1 and have the bright and lively white of the so much extolled ,oriental40 ,printing on porcelain appears first to have been introduced by ,dr4 ,wall at the ,worcester works1 a process soon after taken to ,caughley by a person named ,holdship1 a former partner in the ,worcester works1 where it was practised as a great secret1 with closed doors4 ,mr4 ,chaffers says3-- 8,the excellence of ,turner's porcelain and the invention of the beautiful dark blue of the ,caughley china1 attributed to him1 gained him great patronage4 ,in #aghj he produced the celebrated 8willow pattern10 which even at the present day is in great demand1 and the 8blue dragon10 another favourite pattern1 and completed the first blue printed table service made in ,england for ,thomas ,whitmore1 ,esq41 of ,apley ,park1 near ,bridgnorth2 the pattern was called ,nankin1 and was something similar to the ,broseley tea service produced in #aghb1 all in porcelain4 ,mr4 ,thomas ,minton1 of ,stoke1 assisted in the completion of this service1 being articled as an engraver there4 8,messrs4 ,chamberlain of ,worcester1 until the end of #agij1 had their porcelain in the white from ,thomas ,turner of ,caughley4 ,he at first mixed all the bodies himself1 but afterwards instructed his sister how to do it2 subsequently a man named ,jones mixed for him40 ,the other works at ,worcester1 ,grainger ,co41 formerly1 when first established1 merely painted and finished ware manufactured at ,caughley4 ,the ,china so sent was marked with the letter 8,c40 for ,caughley2 sometimes 8,s40 for ,salopian4 ,among the chief workmen were the following3--,dontil1 painter2 ,muss and ,silk1 who afterwards attained great celebrity in ,london1 as painters on enamel1 were landscape painters4 ,thomas ,fennell1 and ,edward ,jones flower painters1 ,thomas ,martin ,randall1 bird painter1 ,edward ,randall1 gold decorator1 ,adams1 blue painter1 ,de ,vivy and ,stephan1 modellers4 ,perry1 one of the workmen who was apprenticed to ,mr4 ,turner1 states that in #agig they had four printing presses at ,caughley1 introduced by ,davis2 the patterns at that time and for years previously being birds and blue panels2 that ,turner had been an engraver at ,worcester2 that he recollects a slab on the front of one of the arches of the building at ,caughley1 stating the date of its foundation1 #aggb1 which would be the time he succeeded ,mr4 ,gallimore1 and that it was not finished for some time after4 ,in the ,salopian ,mag4 we gave an engraving of the old works1 from a view in the possession of ,mr4 ,hubert ,smith1 the only lineal descendent of ,mr4 ,turner2 and also of a 8puzzle jug10 now in the possession of ,mr4 ,e4 ,thursfield1 of ,bridgnorth4 ,it is eight inches in height1 and is formed of the usual body of these works4 ,it is decorated with blue sprigs1 and bears on its front the name1 in an oval border1 of ,john ,geary ,cleak of the ,old ,church ,brosley #aghi4 ,on the bottom is written in blue 8,mathew th v #af10 though one would fail to see any allusion in the text here referred to either to the vessel or to its purpose4 ,the first specimens of ,caughley are but little removed from earthenware1 but the material speedily improved1 as did the manipulation or potting2 the latter to an extent as regards shape and outline so much so as to render many of them superior to the same class of articles of the present day4 ,their excellence in this respect is so self-evident as still to render ,caughley china a great favourite4 ,choice articles of this manufacture are carefully guarded by ,shropshire families1 with whom they have become heirlooms2 they are carefully stored in corner cupboards and on kitchen shelves1 where they were once kept in countenance by rows of shining pewter1 and are only produced at christenings and weddings1 and on such red-letter days and rare occasions4 ,every year will add to their value1 to the veneration in which they are held2 and at distant periods1 and when compared even with the ordinary productions of our factories at the present day1 they will serve to show how successful were the well-directed efforts at the ,caughley ,works to produce a porcelain which should take high rank and maintain it4 ,the buildings of the old factory have been razed to the ground2 the plough passes over where they stood1 and a few pitchers turned up now and then are the only indications obtained of these interesting works4 ,but a class of clever men were educated there2 some of whom--as the late ,herbert ,minton's father1 ,john ,rose1 and others--have done much to raise the character of our ,english productions4 ,,coalport ,,porcelain ,,works4 ,the first works at ,coalport were we believe founded and carried on by ,william ,reynolds1 ,thomas ,rose1 ,robert ,horton1 and ,robert ,anstice2 the former ,william ,reynolds1 being then ,lord of the ,manor4 ,the buildings1 or a good portion occupied by them are still standing4 ,mr4 ,thomas ,rose1 and ,mr4 ,john ,rose1 were sons of a respectable farmer living at ,sweeney4 ,the latter was a clerk under ,mr4 ,turner1 at ,caughley1 and left him to take the ,jackfield works about the year1 it is said1 #aghj4 ,having carried them on for a few years1 in conjunction with ,mr4 ,blakeway1 during which time he greatly improved the quality of the article manufactured there1 he established the present ,coalport works on the side of the canal1 then recently opened1 and opposite to those of ,reynolds1 ,horton1 ,thomas ,rose1 and ,robert ,anstice4 ,on ,mr4 ,turner retiring from the ,caughley works in #agii1 ,mr4 ,rose and the new company he had formed purchased them1 and by means of increased capital shortly afterwards removed both plant and materials from ,caughley and ,jackfield to the more advantageous position they now occupy1 on the banks of the canal and the ,severn4 ,even the buildings were pulled down and the bricks and timber removed to the opposite side of the ,severn1 where they were used in constructing the cottages now standing opposite to the present ,coalport ,works4 ,a staff of excellent work-people had been obtained from ,caughley and ,jackfield works combined1 but an accident occurred on the night of the #bcrd of ,october in that year by the capsizing of the ferry1 as the work-people were crossing the ,severn1 by which twenty-eight were drowned1 some among them being the best hands employed at the works4 ,it was a dark night1 the boat was crowded1 and the man at the helm1 not having been accustomed to put the boat over allowed the vessel to swing round in the channel where1 with a strong tide running1 it was drawn under by the rope which went from the mast to a rock in the bed of the river4 ,some managed to scramble out on the ,broseley side of the stream2 but the following were lost1 notwithstanding the efforts of those who rushed to the river side on hearing the despairing cries raised to save them4 ,jane ,burns1 ,sarah ,burns1 ,ann ,burns1 ,mary ,burgess1 ,elizabeth ,fletcher1 ,mary ,fletcher1 ,elizabeth ,beard1 ,jane ,boden1 ,elizabeth ,ward1 ,sarah ,bagnall1 ,sophia ,banks1 ,mary ,miles1 ,elizabeth ,evans1 ,catherine ,lowe1 ,jane ,leigh1 ,charles ,walker1 ,george ,lynn1 ,james ,farnworth1 ,george ,sheat1 ,john ,chell1 ,robert ,lowe1 ,william ,beard1 ,john ,jones1 ,benjamin ,gosnall1 ,benjamin ,wyld1 ,richard ,mountford1 ,joseph ,poole1 and another4 ,the twenty-eight lost included some of the best artists2 and an unfinished piece of work1 left by ,charles ,walker but a few minutes before he lost his life1 was till within a few years ago reverently kept in the warehouse as a memento of the unfortunate event4 ,the event1 as may be expected1 created a great sensation at the time1 and was thus commemorated1 by ,mr4 ,dyas1 one of the ,coalport workmen3 ,alas6 ,alas6 the fated night ,of cold ,october twenty third1 ,in seventeen hundred ninety-nine2 ,what cries1 what lamentation heard1 ,the hour nine1 when from yon pile1 ,where fair porcelain takes her form1 ,where energy with genius joins1 ,to robe her in those matchless charms1 ,a wearied band of artists rose1 ,males and females1 old and young1 ,their toil suspend1 to seek repose1 ,their homes to gain1 they bent along4 ,sabrina's stream was near to pass1 ,and she her frowning waves upraised1 ,her mist condensed to darksome haze ,which mocked the light2 no star appeared4 ,yon boat1 which o'er her bosom rides1 ,enveloped in the heavy gloom1 ,convulsive stretch'd along her sides1 ,to snatch the victims to their doom4 ,soon e'er on board their faltering feet ,a monster fell who grasped the helm1 ,hove from the shore the distressed crew1 ,and so the dreadful overwhelm1 ,swift horror's wings o'er spread the tides1 ,they sink6 they rise6 they shriek6 they cling6 ,again they sink2 alarm soon flies1 ,along their shores dread clamours rise1 ,but ,oh1 the bleakest night preventing ,every means to save their breath1 ,helpless1 hopeless1 life despairing ,twenty-eight sunk down in death4 ,alas small time for ,heaven's implorings1 ,quick sealed their everlasting state1 ,or1 in misery1 or in glory1 ,the last tribunal will relate1 ,here fold1 ,o muse thy feeble wings1 ,hope where thou canst1 but not decide1 ,dare not approach those hidden things1 ,with mercy1 justice1 these abide4 ,return with sympathetic breath1 ,see yon distracted mother stands1 ,three daughters lost1 to heaven she lifts ,her streaming eyes and wringing hands1 ,hark6 from those dells how deep the wailings1 ,fathers1 ,mothers1 join their moans1 ,widows1 orphans1 friends and lovers1 ,swell the air with poignant groans2 ,recluse in grief1 those worthy masters ,silent drop the mournful tear4 ,distress pervades surrounding hamlets1 ,sorrow weeps to every ear1 ,sleepless sighings hail the morning1 ,morning brings no soothing ray4 ,the author of these verses1 ,mr4 ,dyas1 was a very clever carver on stone and on wood4 ,he engraved the blocks for a work printed by ,mr4 ,edmonds at ,madeley1 entitled 8,alexander's ,expedition down the ,hydaspes and the ,indus to the ,indian ,ocean40 ,he was the author too of an invention world-wide in its benefits1 that of the printers' roller2 an invention second only to the art of printing itself1 and infinitely superior to thousands of others out of which vast fortunes have been made4 ,in #ahjd the company consisted of ,cuthbert ,johnson1 ,william ,clarke1 ,john ,wootton1 and ,john ,rose4 ,in #ahaa it was ,john ,rose1 ,william ,clarke and ,charles ,maddison4 ,in #ahbj they bought the famous ,swansea works and entered into an agreement with ,messrs4 ,billingsley and ,walker to make a superior kind of porcelain made by them1 first at ,nantgarw in ,glamorganshire1 and afterwards at the ,cambrian ,pottery1 ,swansea1 in the same county4 ,this was a pure soft paste porcelain1 superior to any at present produced in the kingdom1 and second only to the famous pate tendre of ,sevres at the very best period of its manufacture4 ,this china was first made in #ahac by ,billingsley1 who went from ,derby to ,worcester1 and from there to ,south ,wales4 ,he was an artist1 and understood the manufacture in all its branches4 ,he produced a fret body1 by mixing the materials1 firing them in order to blend them together1 then reducing the vitrified substance into clay--a process which was carried on at ,old ,sevres during the reign of ,louis ,,xv4--and thereby produced an article fine in texture1 beautifully transparent1 and of a delicate waxy hue1 very superior to the dingy blue tinge given to much of the best china of that day4 ,connoisseurs were at once attracted by it1 and ,mr4 ,mortlock went down and entered into an engagement to purchase all that ,billingsley and his son-in-law could make4 ,mr4 ,john ,rose finding he had lost a customer1 whilst orders he was wont to receive were going to ,south ,wales1 went over1 bought the plant1 moulds1 and everything1 and entered into an agreement with ,walker and ,billingsley for a period of seven years to make the same quality of china at ,coalport4 ,the process however was an expensive one1 from the difficulty of working the clay1 which wanted plasticity1 and also from the loss in the burning1 as being a soft body it was apt to melt or warp1 and to go out of shape1 if it had a little too much fire in the biscuit kiln4 ,about that time1 too1 ,mr4 ,ryan discovered a very pure felspar in the ,middleton1 one of the ,briedden hills1 the true ,kaolin1 to which the ,chinese were indebted for the quality of their egg-shell and other first class china4 ,the fret body was therefore abandoned1 the pate tendre for a pate dure1 as the ,french say1 and by adding pure felspar to the ,cornish stone and clay which contains a large percentage1 a good transparent body was obtained at a less cost than by using a fret body4 ,about this time also the ,society of ,arts offered a prize to any one who should find a substitute for lead in the glaze1 the deleterious effects of which told upon the dippers1 and produced paralysis2 and ,mr4 ,rose by applying felspar to the glaze succeeded in obtaining it4 ,he was awarded the ,gold ,medal of the ,society2 and from that time following1 for some years1 a badge was either attached to the ware or engraved upon it as follows3--8,coalport ,felspar ,porcelain1 ,j4 ,rose ,co3 the ,gold ,medal awarded ,may #cj1 #ahbj2 ,patronised by the ,society of ,arts40 ,the ,devonports and other manufacturers competed for the prize4 ,the felspar porcelain however never equalled the original ,nantgarw fret body ware for purity and transparency1 a white plate of which would at the present time fetch a couple of guineas4 ,it cannot be said that any new element was introduced by using felspar1 because the kaolin1 contained in ,cornish stone and clay1 as discovered by ,cookworthy in #agfh1 had been1 and was now used at ,plymouth1 ,derby1 ,worcester1 ,caughley1 and ,coalport2 and by a judicious admixture of this and a free use of bone 7phosphate of lime7 a good serviceable china was produced4 ,the former gave mellowness1 and the latter whiteness1 which approached in a degree the qualities of old and ,oriental china4 ,in fact ,mr4 ,rose1 who had the sole management of the works1 spared neither pains nor expense in raising the character of the productions of the ,coalport ,works1 which were now by far the largest porcelain works in the kingdom1 if not in the world4 ,like ,minton1 he was a man of wonderful energy1 being strong in body1 having a clear head1 a cool judgment1 and gifted with remarkable perseverance4 ,the works were now in a state of prosperity2 warehouses were opened in ,manchester1 ,london1 ,sheffield1 and ,shrewsbury1 and a large trade was being done with dealers all over the kingdom4 ,there was plenty of employment1 and a good understanding generally prevailed between masters and their work people4 ,both before and after the strike there were at ,coalport1 as at other works of the kind elsewhere1 an intelligent class of men1 among potters and painters1 as well as in other departments4 ,painters1 especially1 had good opportunities for mental culture and obtaining information4 ,numbers worked together in a room1 one sometimes reading for the benefit of the others1 daily papers were taken1 discussions were often raised1 and in politics the sharp features of party were as defined as in the ,house of ,commons itself4 ,the rooms were nicely warmed1 and a woman appointed to sweep up1 to bring coals1 to keep the tables clean1 to wash up dishes1 peel potatoes1 and fetch water for those who1 not living near1 brought their meals with them4 ,it is not surprising1 therefore1 that men1 having such advantages1 should sometimes rise to higher situations4 ,some became linguists1 some schoolmasters1 engineers1 and contractors2 one1 breakfasting with a bishop1 whose daughter he afterwards married1 saw upon the table1 some time since1 a service painted by himself when a workman at ,coalport4 ,some were singular characters3 old ,jocky ,hill kept his hunter2 ,john ,crowther1 a very amiable fellow1 exceedingly good natured1 and always ready to do a favour to any one who asked him1 lived quite a recluse1 studying algebra and mechanics4 ,he has suggested many improvements in locomotives1 steam paddles1 breaks1 c41 c41 and had the honour of submitting to the ,government the plan of terminating annuities1 by which money at that time was raised to carry on the war1 and by which we have been saved the burden--so far--of a permanent debt2 also of making other suggestions1 which have been likewise adopted4 ,he also invented a most ingenious almanack applicable to all time4 ,coalport men were usually great politicians2 ,hunt1 ,hethrington1 ,richard ,carlile1 ,sir ,francis ,burdett1 and ,cobbett1 had their disciples and admirers2 and such was the eagerness to get the ,register1 with its familiar gridiron on the cover1 that a man has been despatched to ,birmingham for it from one of the rooms1 his shopmates undertaking to do his work for him whilst he was away4 ,the works themselves are ill designed and badly constructed1 the greater portion of them having been put up at the latter end of the past and beginning of the present centuries1 whilst other portions were added from time to time1 with no regard to ventilation or other requirements of health4 ,consequently there are the most curious ins and outs1 dropsical looking roofs1 bulging walls1 and drooping floors1 which have to be propped underneath1 to support half a century's accumulations of china1 accumulations amounting to hundreds and hundreds of tons in weight4 ,in entering some of these unhealthy ateliers and passages strangers have to look well to their craniums4 ,some work-rooms have very stifling atmospheres1 charged with clay or flint2 the biscuit room notably so4 ,we have said that a good understanding prevailed generally between masters and workmen4 ,there was one notable exception1 the great 8strike0 as it was called1 which occurred somewhere in ,november1 #ahcc2 a memorable event in the history of the works1 so much so that in speaking of occurrences it is usual to the present time to ask in case of doubt if it happened before or subsequent to the strike4 ,the men had their 8,pitcher10 a well conducted sick society2 and a 8,travelling ,society10 for assisting those in search of employment1 with branches in all centres of the trade4 ,trades unions1 however1 were just then coming to the front4 ,the ,combination ,laws had been repealed eleven years previously2 otherwise1 such was the temper of the ,shropshire magistrates1 and the feeling generally in relation to the trades unions1 that had they existed on the statute book not a few would have had to have experienced the penal consequences of their acts4 ,with the men who still adhered to the masters the works continued to be carried on to a limited extent2 after much suffering and privation some of the hands returned1 whilst some obtained employment elsewhere4 ,the course taken by ,mr4 ,john ,rose1 in resisting the men was warmly approved of by his neighbours1 who subscribed for a handsome silver cup1 which is now in the possession of ,mr4 ,charles ,pugh1 who married ,miss ,martha ,rose1 daughter of ,mr4 ,thomas1 and niece of ,mr4 ,john ,rose4 ,it is a large and massive piece of plate4 ,a vine stem entwines around the foot and forms the handles1 a vine border with grapes also forms a border round the rim of the cover4 ,on one side is the following inscription3 ,presented to ,john ,rose ,esqr41 of ,coalport ,china ,manufactory1 ,by his ,friends and ,neighbours ,march #crd #ahcd4 ,on the reverse side is the following3 ,tribute of respect to his ,public and ,private ,character and to the uncompromising firmness with which he has recently resisted the demands of an illegal conspiracy4 ,we have lived to see trades unions legalized1 and trade combinations adopted by masters as well as men4 ,mr4 ,walker had invented a maroon colour dip for grounds1 which was used with much success4 ,a good deal was done too about this time in imitation of the ,sevres style of decoration1 and thousands of pounds were spent in endeavouring to make the famous torquoise of the ,french2 but a pale imitation1 called celest1 only was obtained2 some years afterwards however a much better colour was produced1 first by ,mr4 ,harvey1 secondly by ,mr4 ,bagshaw1 thirdly by ,mr4 ,hancock4 ,in #ahci the late ,william ,pugh became one of the firm1 it then being ,john ,rose1 ,charles ,maddison1 and ,william ,pugh4 ,in #ahda it was ,charles ,maddison1 ,william ,pugh1 ,thomas ,rose1 and ,william ,frederick ,rose4 ,in #ahdc ,william ,pugh1 and ,william ,f4 ,rose were the proprietors4 ,in #ahde the ,messrs4 ,daniell received the command of the ,queen to prepare a dessert service as a present by herself to the ,emperor ,nicholas1 and it was manufactured at the works4 ,it was a magnificent service of bleu de roi1 and had the various orders of the ,russian ,empire enamelled in compartments1 with the order of ,st4 ,nicholas1 and the ,russian and ,polish eagles in the centre4 ,in #ahej the famous ,rose-du-,barry was discovered4 ,the attempt to do so had been suggested by the ,messrs4 ,daniell1 in #ahdi2 and after repeated experiments by ,mr4 ,george ,hancock1 who is still the colour-maker at the works1 it was produced4 ,this colour1 so named after ,mdme du ,barry1 one of the mistresses of ,louis ,,xv1 had been formerly made at the ,sevres ,works1 but the art had been lost1 and its reproduction created a demand for very rich dessert services and ornaments of the colour4 ,very costly services of it were produced for the ,messrs4 ,daniell1 ,mortlock1 ,phillips1 ,goode1 and other ,london dealers1 which attracted considerable attention at the ,exhibition of #ahea4 ,one splendid dessert service of it was purchased by ,lord ,ashburton2 others also1 after special models and designs1 of this colour were subsequently produced for the head of the ,state1 for the ,emperor of the ,french1 and for noblemen like the duke of ,northumberland1 the ,marquis of ,lansdowne and others4 ,the following are the remarks of the ,jurors on that occasion3--8,rose ,j41 and ,co41 ,coalbrook ,dale1 ,shropshire 7#dg1 p4 #gbg71 have exhibited porcelain services and other articles1 which have attracted the special attention of the ,jury4 ,a dessert service of a rose ground is in particular remarkable1 not only as being the nearest approach we have seen to the famous colour which it is designed to imitate1 but for the excellence of the flower-painting1 gilding1 and other decorations1 and the hardness and transparency of glaze4 ,the same observation applies to other porcelain articles exhibited by this firm4 ,the ,jury have awarded to ,messrs4 ,rose and ,co4 a ,prize ,medal40 ,the company also obtained medals at the ,french ,exhibition in #ahee1 and at that of ,london in #ahfb4 ,a good deal has been done of late years in the ,sevres style of decoration on vases1 the moulds of which came direct from ,sevres manufactory4 ,it is a pleasing incident1 and one worth mentioning1 that some years ago ,mr4 ,w4 ,f4 ,rose in company with ,mr4 ,daniell visited ,paris1 and of course went to ,sevres4 ,mr4 ,daniell was at once taken round the works1 but ,mr4 ,rose feeling some delicacy remained outside4 ,mr4 ,daniell mentioned the delicacy of his friend1 and the manager at once sent for him in1 and shewed him the greatest respect4 ,he told him he might send his best artists to copy any thing he saw1 or employ theirs to do so3 and sometime after he sent over the moulds themselves to ,coalport4 ,in #ahfb ,mr4 ,pugh became sole proprietor of the works1 and continued so to his death1 in ,june #ahge4 ,mr4 ,charles ,pugh1 brother of the deceased1 and ,mr4 ,edmund ,ratcliff1 brother-in-law1 were left executors2 and for an adjustment of claims by them and others the estate was thrown into ,chancery and a receiver and manager1 ,mr4 ,gelson was appointed4 ,the stock which is immense and had been accumulating for half a century is being brought into the market4 ,hundreds of dozens of one pattern1 8,india tree10 for example1 which had remained out of sight for forty years1 are being brought to light4 ,in some instances a hundred dozen or so of saucers1 7printed17 are found stowed away1 without cups to match2 whilst scores of piles of plates and dishes1 sixteen or eighteen feet high1 may be seen 7white7 in others1 which had been sorted and put on one side from some defect or other4 ,it speaks well for the quality of the china that the biscuit and glazed are both sound and good4 ,in some cases the floors are literally giving way from the immense weight of stock they have to sustain4 ,in one place a quantity of old ,caughley ,china was discovered2 whilst in another were found a number of ,caughley copper plates engraved by the late ,herbert ,minton's father4 ,it may excite surprise that so large a stock should have been allowed to accumulate1 but much was the result of a wish to keep the men employed4 ,the fact of a number of copper plates being found with his name on1 confirms what we have previously said about ,thomas ,minton1 who founded the important commercial house bearing his name and that of his son at ,stoke1 having been employed as an engraver at ,caughley4 ,m4 ,digby ,wyatt1 also1 in his paper read before the ,society of ,arts and reported in the ,society's ,journal1 ,may #bhth1 #aheh1 on the influence exercised on ceramic art by the late ,herbert ,minton1 says3--8,mr4 ,thomas ,minton was a native of ,shropshire1 and he was brought up at the ,caughley works1 near ,broseley1 as an engraver4 ,he then went to town and worked for ,spode1 at his ,london ,house of business40 ,in #aghh he went to ,stoke1 bought land1 and built the house and works which have since become so celebrated4 ,up to #agih however he only made earthenware which was printed and ornamented in blue1 similar to that at ,caughley4 ,mr4 ,wyatt1 in the paper just quoted1 speaking of ,john ,rose and of the late ,herbert ,minton admitted that in the excellent1 rapid1 and cheap production of porcelain for ,mr4 ,minton to have stood still for a moment would have been to have lost his lead in the trade4 ,and ,mr4 ,daniell1 in the discussion which followed1 said3--8,with reference to ,mr4 ,minton's predecessors in this branch of art1 he might remind the society of one whose name was upon their records as the recipient of the society's gold medal for china and porcelain manufactures long before ,mr4 ,herbert ,minton's time4 ,he referred to ,john ,rose1 of ,coalport1 who made more china in his day than all those who were mentioned in the paper40 ,it will be seen from what we have written that ,thomas ,turner1 of ,caughley1 and ,j4 ,rose1 of ,coalport1 were the creators1 so to speak1 of new industries which drew around them large populations and gave employment to thousands who otherwise might have sought for it in vain1 or have found it under less advantageous circumstances4 ,it will be seen also that not only were they benefactors contributing materially to the common stock of national prosperity themselves1 but that their energies and abilities inspired others who in turn became industrial organisers1 and through various channels carried on the work of progress4 ,,madeley ,,china ,,works4 ,,excepting to the trade1 and to some of the old inhabitants1 it is not generally known that ,martin ,randall established ,china ,works at ,madeley1 and made porcelain similar to that of ,nantgarw and little if at all inferior to old ,sevres porcelain4 ,he and his brother ,edward were ,caughley men2 he left there to go to ,derby4 ,he afterwards went to ,pinxton1 and thence with ,mr4 ,robins1 a ,pinxton man1 to ,london1 where they entered into partnership and carried on business4 ,they were supplied with ,nantgarw white china by ,mr4 ,mortlock1 till ,mr4 ,rose cut off the supply from the ,welsh ,works1 by engaging ,billingsley and ,walker to make it for himself alone at the ,coalport ,works4 ,they still continued to carry on business at ,islington1 where they erected buildings suitable1 and fired the ware in box kilns with charcoal4 ,about this time the demand was great with connoisseurs among the aristocracy for old ,sevres china2 and the ,london dealers1 finding that it was not obtainable in sufficient quantities to meet the demand for highly decorated specimens1 hit upon the expedient of employing agents in ,paris to buy up ,sevres china in white for the purpose of having it painted in ,london1 as ,nantgarw had been1 and selling it to their customers as the bona fide productions of ,sevres4 ,slightly painted patterns too were procured1 and the colours got off with fluoric acid1 and rich and expensive paintings1 grounds1 and gilding substituted4 ,about the year #ahbf they dissolved partnership and ,mr4 ,randall came to ,madeley1 where he occupied a house in ,park ,lane1 now the residence of the ,wesleyan minister4 ,he then took more commodious premises at the lower end of ,madeley1 where he erected enamelling1 biscuit1 and other kilns1 and made and finished his own ware4 ,thomas ,wheeler1 ,william ,roberts1 and ,f4 ,brewer1 were his potters2 ,philip ,ballard1 ,robert ,grey1 and the present writer1 were painters there1 and ,enos ,raby was ground layer4 ,john ,fox of ,coalbrookdale1 ,william ,dorsett1 of ,madeley1 also were with ,mr4 ,randall for a short time4 ,not having had experience in the making of china1 great mistaken were committed1 and heavy losses sustained4 ,we have known a biscuit kiln fired till tea-pots and cups and saucers were melted into a mass before a trial was drawn1 crow bars being necessary to remove them2 in some instances they assumed the most fantastic forms4 ,at other times the ware would be short fired in the biscuit kiln and would take up so much glaze that on coming out of the glaze kiln it would fly off in splinters4 ,these wastrels were buried1 broken up1 or thrown into the canal1 to be out of sight4 ,mr4 ,randall however1 as the result of repeated and persevering experiments1 succeeded in producing a fret body with a rich glaze which bore so close a resemblance to old ,sevres china that connoisseurs and famous judges failed to distinguish them4 ,he refused however1 from conscientious motives1 to put the ,sevres mark1 the initials of ,louis4 ,louis1 crossed at the bottom1 which was done with less hesitation at ,coalport with much more feeble imitations4 ,when introduced on one occasion to a ,london dealer1 of the name of ,frost1 who had a shop in the ,strand1 as ,mr4 ,martin ,randall's nephew1 the dealer in old china observed that the old ,quaker made the best imitation of ,sevres that ever was made1 but added1 8he never could be got to put the double ,l on it1 and we cannot sell it as ,sevres40 ,we remarked that he was 8too conscientious to do so10 upon which he replied1 8,o1 d--n conscience2 there is no conscience in business40 ,mr4 ,randall had less hesitation however in putting the ,sevres mark on what was known to be ,sevres2 and he did very much for ,mortlock1 ,jarman1 and ,baldock1 who had agents in ,paris1 attending all sales where old ,sevres was to be sold1 in redecorating it in the most elaborate and costly manner4 ,the less scrupulous ,london agents however did not hesitate to pass it off as being really the work throughout of ,sevres artists4 ,indeed they have been known to have boxes of china going up from ,madeley1 sent on to ,dover1 to be redirected as coming from ,france1 inviting connoisseurs to come and witness them being unpacked on their arrival1 as they represented1 from ,paris4 ,a little entertainment would be got up1 and supposing themselves to be the first whose eyes looked on the rich goods after they left the ,french capital1 where it would be represented1 perhaps1 that they had been bought of the ,duc-de--or of ,madame some one1 after having been in the possession of royalty1 they would buy freely4 ,sevres porcelain fetched high prices then1 but it has risen higher in the market1 even since1 and has gone on rising to the present time4 ,in #ahej cups and saucers fetched from #be to #cj each1 and bowls #ff or #gj4 ,three oval vases and covers at ,lord ,pembroke's sale fetched #ajbj4 ,prices have however since gone up2 and at ,mr4 ,bernal's sale a pair of rose ,dubarry vases sold for #ahej guineas2 and cups and saucers for #ajj4 ,single plates have since sold for #bjj2 vases for #ejj or #fjj guineas each1 and cups and saucers for #aej guineas4 ,a year ago a set of three ,jardiniers fetched at ,christie's1 by auction1 #aj1jjj6 ,we remember seeing an ornament at the ,marquis of ,anglesey's at ,beau ,desert which we were assured was old ,sevres1 and had been purchased at a great price on the continent1 but which we recognised as one of our own painting at ,madeley4 ,a man can always tell his own painting2 but it is not an easy matter for another however experienced sometimes to do so4 ,an amusing instance occurred at ,coalport4 ,mr4 ,f4 ,w4 ,rose who had been conversant from a child with china1 on one occasion bought a vase1 painted with birds1 believing it to be old ,sevres1 but which was made at the ,coalport ,works and painted by the present writer at ,madeley4 ,mr4 ,rose1 sending for us down to the office said1 8here1 ,randall1 is a vase ,i have given a good price for1 which is the right thing2 can you do anything like it80 ,our reply was1 it would be strange if we could not1 as we did that when a lad1 adding that it was made at his own manufactory1 that it was modelled by ,george ,aston1 and purchased out of the warehouse1 in the white1 by ,t4 ,martin ,randall4 ,we need scarcely say that he was very much astonished on finding he had been duped by a ,london china dealer with a piece of his own ware4 ,it was put out of sight2 but the late ,mr4 ,pugh did not forget occasionally to remind his partner of the incident4 ,mr4 ,randall removed from ,madeley to ,shelton1 in the ,potteries1 for the greater convenience of carrying on his works4 ,he was invited by the late ,herbert ,minton to become a partner1 and to make his ware for the benefit of both at his extensive works at ,stoke4 ,age however1 and a longing for retirement led him to decline1 and he soon afterwards retired to a cottage at ,barleston1 where he died1 and was buried1 in a sunny spot of his own choosing1 within sound of the murmuring waters of the ,trent4 ,he was a good man2 one holding large and liberal views1 and one who took an active part in various social and religious movements of the day1 being an active promoter more particularly of ,temperance ,societies1 when first established in this country4 ,specimens of his ware are much prized and sought after by collectors4 ,a fine specimen with torquoise ground is in the possession of ,henry ,dickinson ,esq4 ,the chief beauty of ,mr4 ,randall's porcelain1 like that of other fret bodies1 or pate tendre china1 was that it admitted of a complete amalgamation of the painting with the glaze1 and also of a richness and depth of colour1 as in the case of torquoise1 not to be produced on ordinary china4